This security footage from a BJ’s Wholesale in Florida shows a man trying to steal two computers, and the store’s elderly greeter/receipt-checker giving chase. Almost all the good stuff happens off screen, so you’ll have to imagine the awesome karate moves that probably ensued. It’s retail crime fighting in action!
crime
T.J. Maxx: Good News, Profits Are Up, Bad News, Hostage Situation
By 11.18.09
Yesterday T.J. Maxx announced that third-quarter earnings surged ahead 47% as the company attracted great-recession-weary shoppers to its stores. Oh, and there might have been a “hostage” situation in one of its Florida stores.
15 Years In Prison After Cutting The Line At Walmart?
By 11.16.09
Here’s a strange story from southeast Missouri. Three years ago a college student was waiting in line at Walmart. Her cousin was waiting in another line that was moving faster. The college student, now a teacher who lives in Louisiana, joined her cousin in the “faster” line. This apparently started a confrontation with other customers (and eventually the police) that may cause the woman to spend 15 years in prison.
Identity Thieves Victimize Hancock Customers In Several States
By 11.16.09
News reports are coming in from several states detailing a debit card identity theft scheme in which thieves steal debit card info and pin numbers, then withdraw money from customers’ accounts.
Store Theft In The US Jumped 8.8% Last Year
By 11.13.09
Maybe this is why stores seem to be getting more and more aggressive about shoplifting: CNN says that retail theft in the US jumped 8.8% over the past year, versus only 1.5% in the prior year. But you may be surprised (only if you’ve never worked retail) to see where most of the theft occurs.
Middle Class Shoplifting To Keep Up Appearances
By 11.12.09
Shoplifting is up 20% in the UK as choice cuts of meat, fresh fish and fancy cheeses are increasingly getting stolen, mostly by middle-class women from boutique food emporiums and convenience stores
Yankees Fans Celebrate Championship By Giving Away Your Private Information
By 11.9.09
In case the unlimited payroll, overpriced stadium, and everything else weren’t enough, here’s another reason to dislike the Yankees: their celebratory parades are havens for white collar crime.
Bill Collector Accused Of Offering Debt Forgiveness For Sex
By 11.7.09
A Rent-A-Center employee near Detroit has allegedly found a new approach to helping consumers get out of debt: making their bills go away in exchange for sex.
Hospital Sends $29,000 Bill To Parents Of Murdered College Student
By 11.6.09
Not only did the UC Davis Medical Center send a $29,186.50 bill to the parents of college student who was beaten to death by his roommate, they also sent a letter letting them know that their son was considered indigent and was no longer welcome at the hospital if he needed further treatment. He doesn’t, of course, because he is deceased.
Madoff Victims Receive First Repayment Of $534 Million
By 10.28.09
The trustee who’s liquidating Bernie Madoff’s firm has released $534.2 million in repayments to some of his victims, reports Bloomberg. The half-billion is a drop in the bucket of total verified losses, which are now more than $21 billion. But hey, those 1,558 victims whose claims were approved for this partial payout are probaby pretty happy—which is more than you can say for the 2,500+ Madoff customers who may be sued to return fake profits.
Yep, Trying To Trade Sex For World Series Tickets Is Illegal
By 10.28.09
We know you really want to go see the Phillies/Yankees World Series, but you’ll have to find some way to pay for it that doesn’t include sex acts. One Philly fan found out that hard way when an undercover cop answered her Craigslist ad.
5 People Charged With Robbing And Torturing Mortgage Modification Agents
By 10.27.09
KTLA says that five people have been charged with torture, robbery and false imprisonment after luring two loan modification agents to a location and then holding them for hours, beating and robbing them before one escaped.
American Medical Alarms Sends Elderly Neighbor To Investigate Next Door
By 10.21.09
Is it okay for an alarm company to ask a neighbor to check on its customer? By sending a 70-year-old woman over to check on their 80-something-year-old customer, American Medical Alarms may have helped prematurely end a robbery/beating in progress. On the other hand, they asked a 70-year-old woman to go investigate an emergency next door—basically turning her into a potential Red Shirt. As the heroic neighbor’s daughter points out, “They should have already considered the possibility that something like this could happen, and have policies in place to prevent it.”
MoneyGram Agrees To Pay $18 Million Back To Fraud Victims
By 10.20.09
MoneyGram International announced today that it would pay $18 million to the FTC to settle charges it allowed wire fraud to happen between 2004 and 2008. MoneyGram’s press release notes that they disagree with the FTC’s view of the matter, but $18 million is a hell of a lot of money to pay if you don’t think you were in the wrong. The press release from the FTC, on the other hand, provides plenty of detail illustrating MoneyGram’s negligence, as well as the criminal behavior of some of its employees who were in on the frauds.
Just Because Someone Tries To Sell You A Building Doesn't Mean They Own It
By 10.15.09
Meet Mr. Vargas. He would like to sell you his stake in some commercial property, a triangular lot just north of Central Park, at Lenox and St. Nicholas Avenues, in NYC. You would like to buy this property, because it’s apparently awesome. Unfortunately, after you give Mr. Vargas the money — you find out that the property is owned by an entirely different person.
Fortune Teller Arrested For Selling Thousand Dollar Body Wash At The Mall
By 10.13.09
Fortune tellers are sort of like the con-artist version of the website Significant Objects—the more interesting the story, the higher the price you can fetch for an otherwise cheap piece of crap. Unless, of course, the police arrest you for “fraudulent accosting” at the mall and ruin your con.
Robber Walks Through Walmart Receipt Check With $200,000 Cash
By 10.10.09
You and I can’t get past Walmart’s receipt checks with a 12-pack of toilet paper, but one criminal made it past the greeter with a cart full of cash. $200,000 from the store’s safe, to be precise. How does that happen?
Angry Customer Shoots Taco Bell Employee Because They're Closed
By 10.9.09
So, you roll into Taco Bell at 3:30 am. They’re closed. Sure, you’re upset, but do you need to shoot the person working there? One guy in Miami thinks so, and he’s apparently still at large after shooting a Taco Bell employee in the leg simply because the restaurant wasn’t open.
