Colorado has formed a new task force charged with cracking down on products being stolen and anonymously resold through online marketplaces, such as eBay and Facebook. 

Attorney General Phil Weiser announced the formation of the statewide task force on Wednesday. He said it will enhance coordination between law enforcement agencies, allowing them to identify and prosecute organized criminal rings that steal goods from retailers and resell them through online marketplaces.

“Organized retail theft harms business, employees and customers,” Weiser said. “Last legislative session, I partnered with the business community and retail leaders to pass legislation to clamp down on these criminal enterprises.” 

Store losses from organized retail crime have risen over 50% in the last five years, reaching $700,000 for each $1 billion in sales in 2020, according to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Reports of theft, robbery and burglary have steadily increased in Colorado in recent years, reaching over 147,000 incidents in 2021 – up 13,000 from 2019 – according to state data.

To combat this, Weiser said the task force will connect prosecutors across the state, create shared resources for cross-jurisdictional investigations, share best practices and provide a point of engagement for outside organizations. 

The task force’s creation adds to previous efforts to address organized retail theft, including House Bill 1099 passed by the state legislature in March. Under the bill, high-earning third-party sellers will have to provide identifying information to the online marketplace they’re using and to the person they’re selling to beginning on Jan. 1. 

Weiser recently issued a public advisory informing companies that operate online marketplaces of their new obligations under the bill. 

“I am excited to see this important implementation happening,” said bill sponsor Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, in a statement on the task force’s formation. “For consumers and businesses alike, we must crack-down on organized retail theft and this is a great start.”