Vinted has been flooded with stolen designer goods after looters smashed their way through shops during riots in France at the weekend. The secondhand marketplace said it is working to remove suspicious listings linked to the looting.
Businesses across the country were reduced to rubble during the October 17 protests that swept the nation. Shops including Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Apple were ransacked during the carnage, which left dozens of emergency service workers injured.
Stolen items appear on marketplace
Cyber News reports that the plush products are now appearing on Vinted. The hashtag “October 17” was trending on the app after student protests over living standards and underinvestment in the country’s education system turned into violence. Looters took advantage of the situation and turned to social media to try and cash in on their ill-gotten gains.
The day after the protest, posts on social media, such as TikTok, began to emerge, with some users bragging about what they stole. The stolen goods included bags with clothes, Rolex watches, smartphones, and tablets. Images shared on social media show the items being flogged off in bulk, with prices below the market average.
Vinted's response to looting
A spokesperson for Vinted said: "The sale of stolen goods, or soliciting them, is strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we have zero tolerance for it. Since this weekend, our teams have taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting, and we have stepped up monitoring of suspicious listings."
"When our rules are breached, we act against the accounts involved, up to permanent bans."
Scale of the unrest
Around 1,500 shops were targeted during the chaotic scenes in France at the weekend. Businesses included luxury shops, tech outlets, pharmacies, and even bakeries. Protests took place in Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Monuments and public areas were also targeted during the riots.
Police arrested about 1,800 people on Saturday as around 550,000 demonstrators took to the streets for protests that were largely peaceful. More than 500 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters were injured during the unrest.
Government response
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has since given local mayors the power to introduce partial curfews in a bid to protect people and shops. Speaking on Monday, he said: "There will be a law that will be put in place to find ways of making sure that those who have damaged properties will have to pay."
