France Cracks Down on Online Sales of Looted Luxury Goods After Riots

France has launched action against the online sale of goods allegedly stolen during recent unrest, after suspicious listings of luxury products appeared on resale platforms. According to French authorities, around 3,000 businesses across the country were affected by damage or looting. Stores in Paris’s Les Halles district, including outlets associated with Hermès, Louis Vuitton and The North Face, were among those reportedly targeted. Designer handbags, cosmetics and other expensive products were subsequently advertised on platforms such as Vinted, Amazon and Leboncoin.

In response, Commerce Minister Serge Papin and Digital Affairs Minister Anne Le Hénanff convened representatives of Vinted, Amazon, eBay, Meta, TikTok and Leboncoin. The platforms were urged to remove suspicious listings and cooperate with law-enforcement agencies to identify those involved in reselling stolen goods. Vinted said it had strengthened checks and maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards stolen items, while eBay said it used technological tools and specialist teams to identify prohibited listings. French law provides for penalties of up to five years in prison and a €375,000 fine for handling stolen goods.