According to Bloomberg's report on October 19th, after riots broke out in several parts of France, a large number of posts for goods suspected to have been stolen appeared on the online trading platform Vinted.
Last weekend, tens of thousands of people in France took to the streets to protest against rising living costs and deteriorating public services. Arson attacks, robberies, and clashes between police and civilians occurred in several cities including Paris, Marseille, and Lyon.
Videos circulating on social media show that luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Celine had their stores ransacked.
Videos show that several luxury stores were damaged and robbed, including Celine and Louis Vuitton. Screenshots from social media videos
The beauty retailer Sephora stated in a statement that protesters entered several of its stores.
Besides Pengbo Society, many French media outlets reported that stolen goods during the riots in France were suspected of being listed for sale on second-hand trading platforms.
According to the newspaper 'Liberté et Droit', there are a large number of suspicious items appearing on platforms such as Vinted and Leboncoin, including cosmetics, sports shoes, perfumes, video game products, etc. Some football jerseys even have anti-theft labels attached to them. In the descriptions of goods on second-hand platforms, references to robbery are openly mentioned.
Some people publicly display their "war spoils" on social platforms. One person showcased three Rolex watches and multiple luxury bags on TikTok, captioning the video: “I made a fortune on October 17th.” Another person displayed a whole bag of smartphones and tablets.
Suspected items that were stolen are being sold on second-hand platforms, as shown in screenshots from French media and social media.
France is Vinted’s largest market. A spokesperson for Vinted stated in a statement that the company has “immediately taken action to identify and remove product information related to the robbery incident,” and also “strengthened monitoring of suspicious product information.”
The spokesperson said: “Once we detect any behavior that violates the platform rules, we will take measures against the relevant accounts. The most severe penalty is permanent ban.”
According to Vinted's platform rules, the sale of stolen goods is prohibited on the platform. The company uses various methods to identify suspicious product information, including receiving reports from retailers and individuals, which are then investigated by the platform's review team.
Vinted states: "We are actively cooperating with law enforcement agencies and French authorities."
Vinted was founded in Lithuania in 2008. Initially, it was a platform that provided clothing exchange services, and later it became one of the largest consumer internet startups in Europe.
According to French media reports, French National Union chairman Bardella and former Prime Minister Atall have called on second-hand trading platforms to strengthen their cooperation with the government in order to help identify sellers suspected of selling stolen goods.
