This week on The Fin podcast: Greg Bearup and Carrie LaFrenz on what’s behind Australia’s retail crime wave, why Victoria is ground zero and whether facial recognition technology is the answer.  This podcast is sponsored by Acenda  Further reading:We met a professional shoplifter to understand this crime’s popularityRetailers are contending with a new type of player in their industry. Here’s how such offenders became a nationwide phenomenon and scourge of the country.Facial recognition tech vital to protect staff and shoppers: retailersBusiness leaders are ramping up efforts to combat surging crime rates, but their use of new tech is running up against privacy concerns.Victoria accounts for half the rise in crime at Woolworths storesThe supermarket giant is the latest retailer to use profit season to highlight an increase in crime and aggression against staff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.