eBay has partnered with the National Retail Federation (NRF), the trade association for the retail industry, to fight organized retail crime.

The partnership between eBay and the NRF will receive support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as part of an effort to halt crime in which items are stolen from physical stores and then sold online.

The NRF says organized retail gangs are sophisticated criminal enterprises that steal large quantities of merchandise from retail stores and resell the goods for profit online.

"eBay has invested in a number of new resources and is making tremendous strides assisting retailers and law enforcement with tracking illegal behavior," said Joe LaRocca, Senior Asset Protection Advisor, NRF.

"The partnership between NRF and eBay will create standards and best practices to stop criminals from fencing their stolen goods."

Under the partnership NRF retail members and representatives from eBay will meet on a regular basis to discuss organized retail crime, brainstorm best practices to prevent it, and take steps to eradicate the activity.

According to law enforcement and industry groups, organized retail crime rings steal as much as $30 billion in merchandise from retail stores every year.  In an NRF survey done in 2009, 92 percent of retailers said they were victimized by organized retail crime within the past year, and 73 percent reported the level of organized retail crime activity had increased.