Stolen goods are often sold by the thief in order to obtain cash.  It is an offence, as well as being unethical, to steal or to receive stolen goods so organisations and individuals must be vigilant to ensure that they do not change hands illegally.

To avoid the possibility of receiving stolen goods they should purchased from an individual of good character, or an organisation with a sound reputation.  Organisations that deal in second hand goods for more than six days per year must be a licenced second hand dealer.

To ensure recovery of goods that have been stolen the description should be recorded, especially model and serial numbers.  Photos are also a good way of identifying items and receipts should be retained as an indication of ownership.

Further resources

• Stolen phones – a service operated by the New Zealand Telecommunications Forum
• Stolen property page at the New Zealand Police
• SeriSafe – online database service for recording serial numbers and to check for stolen items
• Stole Me – does not appear to have any recent listings