A fencing operation is a criminal activity where a person or business knowingly buys stolen goods in order to resell them for profit. Fences can be categorised by the type of goods they trade, such as jewels, power tools, or electronics, or by their level of involvement in buying and selling stolen goods. At the lowest level, a hustler or drug dealer may occasionally accept stolen goods, while commercial fences operate out of shops or storefronts, and residential fences operate from their homes.
An undercover fencing operation is a specific type of fencing operation where law enforcement sets up a storefront to purchase stolen property in order to catch criminals in the act. In e-fencing, the level of culpability on the part of the "intermediary" platform varies greatly, and the platforms operators may be knowingly or recklessly permitting such activity. Fencing is illegal almost everywhere, usually under a similar rationale as in the United States, where receipt of stolen property is a crime in every state, as well as a federal crime if the property crossed a state line.
