OVERLAND PARK, KAN -
In a nondescript building in south Overland Park, Melissa Powell spends a big part of her day surfing the web. She's on eBay and Craigslist, looking for everything from GPS systems to frozen drink machines. Not as a shopper, but as a crime analyst for the Overland Park Police Department.
"A lot of times it's just a way to narrow it down," Powell said. "And then I find out who the people are posting it, look into them, see if they have a history of stealing things and fencing things and then go from there."
Indeed, the World Wide Web is the new street corner for fencing stolen items. So much so that Overland Park's analyst says she spends about 60 percent of her time scouring web sites for stolen items.
"You're not leaving DNA, you're not leaving any kind of imprint, it's all in cyberspace, it's much safer for a criminal," Detective Sergeant Charles Tippie said, on why more and more stolen items are ending up on the web.
"It's just mind boggling," he added.
In fact Overland Park, which says it will investigate any cybercrime that touches its borders, is handling a major auto theft case right now. It started to break open, when victims noticed parts from their custom vehicles for sale on web sites, and contacted police.
"They call us and say, 'Hey I think my stuff's on Craigslist, and it is," Tippie said.
The business is booming, and according to Detective Sergeant Marty Ingram, "the victims are endless, the property can be taken from anyone."
Including big box retailers, who get ripped off by what's known as organized retail crime to the tune of billions of dollars.
Target Corporation, based in Minneapolis, MN takes it very seriously, and boasts two accredited crime labs to pour over surveillance video, fingerprints, and any other evidence it can use to track the crime.
"We see organized retail crime in many different ways, from just stealing product from a store to the very sophisticated switching of bar codes or labels on product, to buying product and replacing it with something similar in weight and repackaging it," Nate Hartle, Senior Group Manager in Investigations for Target, said.
Locally, a former Lawrence police officer faces federal charges for stealing video games, returning the boxes for a refund, and selling the games on eBay.
And seven other defendants face sentencing in a massive ring the feds say involved stealing and fencing on the internet. The group's ringleader, according to authorities, was John Chass of Kansas City. It was Target's investigators working with law enforcement that helped break open that case.
"A booster is somebody who comes into our stores and steals products and sells it for a living," Hartle said. "Based on numerous interviews with boosters, we had a very high volume seller in the Kansas City area."
Overland Park takes the crimes seriously because it believes burglary, theft, and fencing finance drugs and even violent crimes.
But Detective Ingram said the public can do its part too, by not buying items on the web that seem too good to be true when it comes to price, thus drying up the demand.
"So we have to remember that we have to do the right thing," he said. "It all boils back to doing the right thing and passing on those deals that are way too good to be true."
"A lot of times it's just a way to narrow it down," Powell said. "And then I find out who the people are posting it, look into them, see if they have a history of stealing things and fencing things and then go from there."
Indeed, the World Wide Web is the new street corner for fencing stolen items. So much so that Overland Park's analyst says she spends about 60 percent of her time scouring web sites for stolen items.
"You're not leaving DNA, you're not leaving any kind of imprint, it's all in cyberspace, it's much safer for a criminal," Detective Sergeant Charles Tippie said, on why more and more stolen items are ending up on the web.
"It's just mind boggling," he added.
In fact Overland Park, which says it will investigate any cybercrime that touches its borders, is handling a major auto theft case right now. It started to break open, when victims noticed parts from their custom vehicles for sale on web sites, and contacted police.
"They call us and say, 'Hey I think my stuff's on Craigslist, and it is," Tippie said.
The business is booming, and according to Detective Sergeant Marty Ingram, "the victims are endless, the property can be taken from anyone."
Including big box retailers, who get ripped off by what's known as organized retail crime to the tune of billions of dollars.
Target Corporation, based in Minneapolis, MN takes it very seriously, and boasts two accredited crime labs to pour over surveillance video, fingerprints, and any other evidence it can use to track the crime.
"We see organized retail crime in many different ways, from just stealing product from a store to the very sophisticated switching of bar codes or labels on product, to buying product and replacing it with something similar in weight and repackaging it," Nate Hartle, Senior Group Manager in Investigations for Target, said.
Locally, a former Lawrence police officer faces federal charges for stealing video games, returning the boxes for a refund, and selling the games on eBay.
And seven other defendants face sentencing in a massive ring the feds say involved stealing and fencing on the internet. The group's ringleader, according to authorities, was John Chass of Kansas City. It was Target's investigators working with law enforcement that helped break open that case.
"A booster is somebody who comes into our stores and steals products and sells it for a living," Hartle said. "Based on numerous interviews with boosters, we had a very high volume seller in the Kansas City area."
Overland Park takes the crimes seriously because it believes burglary, theft, and fencing finance drugs and even violent crimes.
But Detective Ingram said the public can do its part too, by not buying items on the web that seem too good to be true when it comes to price, thus drying up the demand.
"So we have to remember that we have to do the right thing," he said. "It all boils back to doing the right thing and passing on those deals that are way too good to be true."
