Vinted blocks French looters selling stolen goods after riots

Vinted has taken down listings believed to show items stolen from shops during the recent riots in France. The online marketplace said it acted quickly after violence swept through several cities over the weekend. A spokesperson told the BBC that “the sale of stolen goods, or soliciting them, is strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we have zero tolerance for it.”

Immediate response to looting

Shops were broken into and ransacked in Paris, Marseille, Lille and other areas as protests over living costs and public spending turned into riots. More than 2,000 businesses were directly hit, according to the head of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Alain Di Crescenzo told RTL that the damage ran into hundreds of millions of euros.

Vinted said its teams “have taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting, and we have stepped up monitoring of suspicious listings.” The platform is also working with French police and adapting its methods to spot new risks. Accounts that break the rules can be permanently banned.

France is one of Vinted’s largest markets, along with the UK and Italy. Rioters, some wearing masks and balaclavas, set fire to cars and buildings while looting businesses. Those who stole goods seem eager to sell them quickly.

Luxury stores in Paris, including Dior, Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren, had their shopfronts damaged. The Olympique de Marseille official store was looted, and Lille’s club shop closed until further notice. At least 1,200 people have been arrested. French PM has called for partial curfews and condemned the “thieves” and “thugs” behind the riots. eBay said it had not seen a rise in listings linked to the French looting. The company works with law enforcement and removes items when authorities confirm they are stolen.