Online shoppers are likely to find ‘mystery packages’ on Facebook Marketplace that are actually situations where the shopper pays for a box of unknown goods which have been stolen from porches or shoplifted, according to a Monday (Feb. 14) report from the Greeley Tribune.
Other listings show unopened letters in the backs of vans, per the report, which are billed as “unclaimed mail.” The items are often stolen, but law enforcement has said connecting them to the people selling them is difficult because of online anonymity.
According to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, reselling stolen goods used to involve the risk of showing up in person, which has been curbed by the internet.
“A theft ring can simply create a fake account, click the option to become a third-party seller, post their stolen items online and ship stolen products anonymously,” Weiser said. “The ease in which this can be done and the anonymity provided has made retail theft — both shoplifting from retailers as well as porch piracy theft — a much less risky and much more profitable crime.”
Lawmakers in Colorado are looking to cut down on organized thieving rings, and are making it more difficult to resell items through various platforms.
There’s a bipartisan bill pending called HB22-1099, which would make it so people who sell large amounts of new items would have to register a lot of their personal information.
Under the new rule, those making over $5,000 in sales or over 200 transactions in 12 months will have to register their bank account number, contact info and tax ID number with the marketplace.
The marketplace will then have to verify the info, and those who make over $20,000 will have to disclose their full name, address and contact information to any customer after a purchase.
There are also new, stricter know your customer (KYC) eCommerce rules in the U.K. set to go into effect on March 14.
Related: New UK Rules May Require Additional Authentication Measures From Consumers
According to a PYMNTS report, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) proposed these rules in 2019, and while they were expected to be implemented last year, the rules were delayed to give companies more time to prepare.