Items reportedly stolen from shops and retail outlets during riots in France are being sold openly on the streets, according to the report accompanying a video. Video: Goods Allegedly Stolen During France Riots Sold Openly on Streets.
PLATFORM Vinted has announced that it has removed ads for items suspected of being stolen from stores during the riots that broke out in France last weekend. The second-hand goods resale company said it “immediately took action to identify and remove ads linked to the robberies” after the riots.
During the riots last weekend, shops in several French cities were broken into and looted. “Selling stolen goods or soliciting such goods is strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we have a zero tolerance policy,” a company spokesperson said.
Mass looting was reported from Paris, Marseille, Lille and other areas after protests turned violent. At least 1,200 people were arrested.
Damages amounting to hundreds of millions of euros
According to the head of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI), the violence over the weekend directly affected more than 2,000 businesses. Alain Di Crescenzo told French television station RTL that the riots caused damage worth hundreds of millions of euros.
Groups of rioters, some wearing masks and phantoms, were seen burning cars and buildings and looting shops. It seems that those who stole the goods are now trying to sell the stolen items as soon as possible.
“As of this weekend, our teams have taken immediate action to identify and remove ads linked to scams, and we’ve stepped up our monitoring of suspicious ads. When our policies are violated, we take action against the user accounts involved, including a permanent ban from the platform,” Vinted confirmed to the BBC
The company said it was cooperating with French authorities and police and was adapting its “procedures to detect and combat new risks and malicious behavior.”
Luxury stores and boutiques in Paris surrounded by security guards
eBay has not seen an increase in the number of listings linked to the robberies in France, but said it was cooperating with law enforcement authorities in investigations into suspected stolen goods. When authorities confirm that an item has been stolen, eBay takes appropriate action, including removing the listing and sanctioning the seller.
Reuters reports that luxury stores and boutiques in Paris’ Place Vendôme are closed and surrounded by security guards. However, according to Reuters, a number of stores in the French capital, including Dior, Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren, have had their facades damaged.
Football club Olympique de Marseille announced that its official shop on the main historic avenue in Marseille had been robbed. The club has closed the shop, and Lille, another club in the French Ligue
