According to the ONS, shoplifting crime figures in England and Wales have risen to a fresh 20-year high. Shoppers on secondhand marketplaces such as Vinted, eBay and Facebook Marketplace are being warned they may be inadvertently purchasing shoplifted goods. ‘Shoplifting to order’ is essentially when thieves are given a ‘shopping list’ of the exact items that they should steal from a certain shop or supermarket. “If you are purchasing items on Facebook Marketplace, Vinted or eBay, be mindful if the product is brand new but sold at a much lower value, and if the seller seems to sell a lot of high value items a similar way. Andrew adds: “In smaller shops without security, shop keepers may be forced to confront the thief, which poses a danger to themselves and their staff.

Source: The Times January 21, 2026 02:35 UTC