Sting Operations Help Startups Crack Down on Stolen Scooters

  • Wind staff worked with Brussels police to stop stolen scooters
  • Replacement units were costing hundreds of dollars each
Wind scooters await hire in Paris.Photographer: Anita Pouchard Serra/Bloomberg
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On a rainy July Sunday in Brussels, two men prepared to fill a rented van with stolen e-scooters. They didn’t notice the Wind employees hiding around the city, ready to catch them in the act.

In the e-scooter industry, theft of the two-wheelers is regular and costly, with replacements costing a few hundred dollars each.