Addressing theft at the scale and speed of the modern internet
Theft and the sale of stolen goods online has become a multi-billion dollar problem. But clever application of artificial intelligence now redefines our collective ability to address this challenge. By systematically identifying stolen items across online marketplaces, SciPlai Scientific Services Inc. has developed a unique software service that equips security professionals with precise information to enable an efficient response.
When theft occurs, victims and law enforcement face the impossible task of searching for that stolen property across endless listings on countless online marketplaces. Criminals can hide among the immense volume of legitimate sellers to offer their illicit wares with little chance of being caught. This anonymity causes low recovery rates and ultimately enables thieves to continue their operations.
Our intelligence software upends this anonymity. We have combined the latest technological advances in computer vision, natural language processing, and data analytics to filter for suspicious offers. Our prototype software continually scans photos and descriptions of goods sold on target marketplaces, and compares those goods against known stolen items using our effective detection algorithm. Only the highest probability matches are highlighted for review and potential action.
This process allows investigators to focus their resources on leads directly supported by sufficient evidence. That means the human – a trained law enforcement officer or security professional – always remains in control of the final decision to act upon the information we compile and they review. This design intentionally avoids fully automated decision-making, respecting federal guidelines for responsible use of generative A.I.
We anticipate that commercial businesses and individual persons will both benefit from adopting our comprehensive, real-time, and continuous monitoring program in their community. Eliminating the manual search for stolen property reduces law enforcement costs. Leveraging intelligent data analysis to reveal high-quality leads focuses available resources to increase recovery rates. Ultimately, working with online platforms to rapidly remove accounts that facilitate crime will deter fencing, reduce theft, and improve public safety across the community.
Our prototype software has passed successful field testing on real-world data. We are now seeking partner organizations in the public and private sectors to test our software in early access. We offer continuous monitoring of select online platforms and real-time discovery of your property. Your participation will give your organization the opportunity to guide development and address your specific challenges. And your feedback will shape the selection of initial product categories, target platforms, and regional priorities on the path towards broad deployment.
