Press Releases
03/17/2022
Attorney General Tong Issues Testimony in Support of "An Act Concerning High Volume Third-Party Sellers on Online Marketplaces"
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today issued testimony in support of Senate Bill No. 257: An Act Concerning High Volume Third-Party Sellers on Online Marketplaces. The legislation seeks to require high volume third-party sellers on online marketplaces to disclose certain information on the marketplaces and to consumers. If passed, the legislation would be an important first step in combatting the growing problem organized retail crime.“Organized retail crime is not your run-of-the mill shoplifting,” Attorney General Tong states in his testimony. “Crime rings, often operating across state lines, recruit local residents to participate in the theft of large quantities of these everyday products. Now, instead of taking the stolen goods to a pawn shop or selling them off the back of a truck, these sophisticated organizations lease warehouses and list the goods for sale on the major online platforms, and they electronically fence the products.”
The problem of organized retail crime must be addressed on both the supply side and demand side, Attorney General Tong states in his testimony. “SB 257 is a good first step to addressing the problem of the ease with which criminals can resell their stolen wares through online retailers," Attorney General Tong states.
Attorney General Tong and Governor Ned Lamont announced recently the formation of the Connecticut Organized Retail Crime Task Force, charged with combating the growing problem of organized theft at brick-and-mortar retailers.
Click here for the full testimony.
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