Organized Retail Crime Isn’t Petty Theft

Why it matters:

Gift card fraud is one of the easiest ways organized retail crime quietly drains money from shoppers and retailers—and it’s often connected to much larger criminal operations.

The big picture:

On Retail’s Most Wanted, Scott Glenn, VP of Asset Protection at The Home Depot, explains how ORC has evolved from visible theft into coordinated, cross-border crime that’s hard to detect and harder to prosecute.

Key points:

• Gift cards are a prime target: Anonymous, fast, and easy to launder, they’re often drained before victims know a crime occurred.

• This isn’t petty theft: ORC is “shoplifting for greed,” used to fund broader criminal activity.

• Education + coordination work: Training shoppers and associates, stronger state task forces, and federal action are starting to make a difference.

What’s next:

Criminals will keep adapting—but growing collaboration between retailers, law enforcement, and lawmakers is finally narrowing their advantage.

*Correction Notice: Scott Glenn is a lawyer. He has not served as a prosecutor.