CNBC goes inside the shadowy world of organized retail crime, revealing how a crime ring stole millions of dollars of beauty items that ended up for sale on Amazon, according to authorities. For months, we got exclusive access to major investigations by the California Highway Patrol, making arrests and serving search warrants. Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell, in a first in-depth interview by a corporate leader about organized retail crime, says more needs to be done by the online marketplaces to curb the sale of stolen items.
Correspondent: Courtney Reagan
Senior Investigative Producer: Scott Zamost
Retail Reporter, cnbc.com: Gabrielle Fonrouge
Editor: David Lettieri
Senior Animator: Michael Schwartz
Photographers: Duane Poquis Jacob Jimenez, Dave Dellaria, Oscar Molina, Roger Prehoda, Gary Levens, Gary Wahlgreen, Duane Oldham, Ray Rodriguez, William Pupa, Steve Washington, Mark Aster, Leroy Jackson
Audio: Guadalupe Mejia, Mark Edelstein, Everett Wong, Lori Smith, Erik Anschicks, Warren Wolfe, Chris Hall
Intern: Ali McCadden
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How The Shadowy World Of Organized Retail Crime Works
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Working in retail for years. It is cheaper for the corporations to allow someone to shoplift. The cost of a lawsuits if a Employee or Thief gets hurt or killed out ways the cost of the stolen item. Most retailers do not allow you to try and stop or chase after a shoplifter. The only thing that they can do is call the cops after. Also, stolen items become a tax write off for them.
Wait so u want me to believe someone who steals isn't lazy and then u want me to believe after they steal they will take the time out step up a website and then go and ship the item to another person. U want me to believe a thief is go tondo all that. 4 money really and they actually got time to stand online in the post office and ship the item oh wait u will tell me they will because you have never talked to a real thief just watch these people tell u a story that u just gotta be.
The police resell it on Amazon
Aren't there countries were they chop off your fingers if you steal?
What happened to human morale in government? What is wrong with California Senate?
San Francisco will soon be empty from retailers: Macy's and Zara have announced leaving when their lease is up early 2025.
Newsom policies of sanctuary state, letting criminals out of jail, no deportations, most of the time they don't even put them in jail at all. They just let them walk back out on the street, after they commit the crime. There is no justice!
And in the meantime, Newsom does not want you to own a gun or be able to protect yourself. It's clear whose side he is on!
Insane! How does consumers protect themselves from buying stolen goods? Is this sold on Amazon, eBay, and Facebook too??
Soon to be your hoa ..
Yes. A clear sign that Capitalism is working just fine in the US. But seriously, retail theft will continue to rise as the price to live is getting higher. People can't afford the basic necessities to to get by in life. Not excusing the thieves, but there's a reason people turn to crime.
The words of the CHP commissioner ring hollow IMO. ORC has been steadily creeping up for more than a year now. Why has it taken so long for authorities to take action against these criminal theft rings? Where were they when this trend in boosting started? Instead, I think they were finally pressured by local officials only AFTER retail stores starting closing en masse due to all the shoplifting. Before that, authorities were sitting on their hands and doing NOTHING to tackle the problem. So, it's no wonder the problem got so bad in the interim. Thieves knew the authorities were doing little, if anything, to stop it and so it only emboldened them and essentially gave them a license to steal. Pathetic.
So many sick folks need a come to Jesus moment, to realise they hurt more than a store.
Dont buy make up online. I have been disappointed too many times.
Thank you, PD!!❤🎉 GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE FROM THE THIEVES!!
so all those videos of minorities stealing make-up is because of this woman lol.
another day another corporation protected. that’s the american way
I say we ignore it.
I had a little online business selling various items but I couldn’t do it anymore because there are stores selling items so cheap and I always wondered how.No matter how cheap I sold these items I couldn’t sell as cheap as some stores
Hi everyone, In order to maximize the growth of my $400k portfolio during the upcoming bull market, I am actively looking for new ways to invest and diversify it. Any suggestions?
Amazon is so big that no one dares toches them. They have no accountability. Of course there are ways of seeing if items are legitimate. Sellers need a resell permits. Wholesalers show that permit number to prove they legally sold that peoduct to them. Such crap .
I'd like to emphasize that this ring leader is white, anglo, blond America citizen. Not an illegal immigrant.
Some prices on amazon and offerup are ridiculously cheap. Hate to think it was stolen.
Democratic party is the party of the ignorant
The California Highway Patrol superintendent is either a liar, out of touch or a complete moron. Retail theft has increased proportionately with the decriminalization of shoplifting in LA, SF, Seattle and NY. Law enforcement is not engaged in stopping this. The problem is that DAs won’t prosecute, and the street-level “booster’s” know it!
Democrats voted for this stuff. What do they think would happen
Oh yeah, California is doing a great job on crime. They made it legal to steal up to $1000. What the hell did they think would happen
American society has always been dog eat dog. Where there’s an opportunity to make money people will exploit it. New technology has aided opportunities to make money just like prohibition was an opportunity to make money.
Amazon would never flag a product when it is priced to good to be true. When prices like that happen and a legit business tries to sell the same item for the actual retail price. Amazon will flag it a potential pricing error since it is so much higher then the too good to be true price. Then that legit business cannot sell that legit item. Amazon is extremely flawed.
I dont need cnbc to explain how shampoo is stolen at cvs but im not their intended audience
Not Amazons problem! try checking to see if your product is be sold by an authorized retailer…try bringing back the work farm!
Is there a link to rising crime and rising rent prices? ahem…
No racist comments I wonder why?
This is great. If they keep on with this, they'll reduce loss from theft across the country. The retailers will save millions, and they'll certainly pass those savings onto the consumers.🤣🤣😂