Always dress for the task at hand. If you’re going on a long hike, wear layers. Going to the beach? Put on some sunscreen. Suspicious clouds in the sky? Pack an umbrella. And if you’re going shoplifting, for gosh sakes, make sure your clothes fit properly. And put on some underpants. [More]
shoplifting
You Could Steal A Lot In The Time It Takes To Read This 7-Eleven Anti-Shoplifting Sign (But It’s Worth It)
By 4.8.13 — Updated: 4.10.13
Usually, the signs you see posted at stores intended to identify, shame and/or deter known shoplifters are nothing more than a Polaroid with a name, maybe height and age. But this poster at a 7-Eleven store takes shaming up a notch, and introduces us to our new favorite phrase “sub sandwich erection.” [More]
Is Seattle Plastic Bag Ban Actually Leading To More Shoplifting?
By 3.1.13 — Updated: 3.2.13
Last summer, Seattle enacted a ban on plastic shopping bags in the city with the intention of cutting down on waste and litter. Some reports claim that this ban has led to an increase in people shoplifting with the aid of reusable cloth bags, but do the numbers back that assertion up? [More]
Couple Foils Their Walmart Crime Spree With A Marital Screaming Match In The Parking Lot
By 2.27.13
The couple that shoplifts together, stays together — unless marital disputes get in the way, perhaps. A husband and wife team reportedly had a successful crime spree at an Illinois Walmart, allegedly boosting $2,400 in stolen merchandise without any store employees noticing a thing. But they sure paid attention when the two started a screaming match in the parking lot. [More]
Ambitious Thief Walks Out Of Costco With 24 Bottles Of Motor Oil Wrapped Around His Body
By 2.4.13
If you’re going to shoplift from a warehouse store, you might as well do it in bulk, right? At least that seemed to be the thinking of one California man, who used bungee cords to secure 24 bottles of motor oil to his body and then headed for the doors. [More]
Walmart Shoplifter Dies After Being Shot By Off-Duty Deputy
By 12.7.12
An off-duty sheriff’s deputy, working in uniform as a security officer for a Texas Walmart, reportedly shot an alleged shoplifter after being dragged by her car in the store’s parking lot. [More]
Hitting Up The Same Walmart Three Times To Shoplift Goes Poorly For Woman
By 12.6.12
Let’s be clear: The old adages “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” or “Third time’s the charm!” should not be applicable in shoplifting situations, or any kind of crime for that matter. But police in Texas say one woman’s failure to make it out of a local Walmart with purloined goods twice before didn’t prevent her from trying a third time. [More]
Going On A Family Shoplifting Spree Shouldn’t Count As Spending Quality Time Together
By 11.30.12
Spending quality time with the family is one of the basic tenets of the holidays, although we’re pretty sure it’s not in the spirit of the season to take that family act on a shoplifting spree. Cops say a mom recruited her two kids in a scheme to swipe $4,500 in merchandise from Best Buy, Kohl’s and Target recently. That’s one way to make sure you get everything on your wish list, albeit a very illegal one. [More]
It’s Much Easier To Find You If You Drop Documents Bearing Your Name While Shoplifting
By 10.25.12
Leaving not a trace behind when you commit a crime isn’t always so easy. Especially if you happen to have loose court documents bearing your name on them while attempting to flee the scene. A man suspected of shoplifting was attempting to flee a Duane Reade store in New York City when an onlooker saw something flutter out of his bag and scooped it up. Well, what do we have here? [More]
Best Buy Staffers Chime In On Changes To Loss Prevention Policies
By 8.22.12
Yesterday, we posted the claims of a Best Buy employee who says that his store and others have been pulling loss prevention staffers (aka receipt checkers) from the front of the store, which he believes has resulted in an increase of shoplifting at these stores. We asked any other Best Buy employees to chime in on these claims — and y’all responded. [More]
Have Best Buy Staff Changes Led To Increase In Shoplifting?
By 8.21.12
Best Buy has been making more than a few changes in recent months, and one Best Buy employee writes in to tell us that he believes some staffing changes have led to an increase in stolen items going out the front door. [More]
Trying To Hide A 43-Inch TV Under Your Skirt Only Works If You Have A Really Ginormous Skirt
By 8.15.12
Despite the likelihood for ridiculous fashion trends, we’re pretty sure there’s no skirt out there that’s going to completely hide the fact that you’re walking out of a store with a 42-inch TV underneath it, which is what a woman in Norway recently tried to accomplish. “Walked” might be the wrong word — shimmied, slowly shuffled or crept might work better when gripping such a large item without the use of one’s hands. [More]
If You Steal A Bike From The Store, Don't Go Back Right Away To Buy A Lock
By 8.3.12
They say that crime doesn’t pay. But we have a feeling that this is mostly due to the fact that a lot of criminals happen to be really stupid people. [More]
The Most Shoplifted Items Include Pregnancy Tests & Weight Loss Pills
By 6.11.12
When times are tough, the temptation of a five-finger discount can push consumers to shoplift — and it’s not like people are taking just flashy duds or pretty jewelry. Baby formula, pregnancy tests, vacuums and kitchen mixers — many of the most common items are expensive and are therefore being shoplifted, according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation. [More]
You Should Definitely Return To The Scene Of The Crime If You Left Your Baby Behind
By 6.8.12
You’re not supposed to come back after you’ve done a wrongful deed, but if you happen to leave behind something you might need later, say, your baby, it’s a good idea to return to the scene of the crime. A shoplifting couple in Catalonia, Spain, were busted when they stopped by to pick up their precious cargo. [More]
Store Enacts “Two Students At A Time” Limit To Curb Shoplifting
By 6.7.12
Here in Philadelphia — and in a number of cities around the country — you hear several stories a week about some small deli or convenience store being suddenly overwhelmed by crowds of students with the intention of swiping armfuls of Pepsi Max, Sun Chips, Snickers bars and whatever else can be grabbed during the brief raid. One store has apparently had enough and enacted a two-student limit to cut down on the theft. [More]
Which Is Worse: Using Your Daughter To Shoplift, Or Abandoning Her At The Police Station?
By 5.23.12
It’s bad enough to involve your 11-year-old daughter in a shoplifting scheme, but to then refuse to pick her up from the police station after you get away? That’s more than bad parenting. That’s just mean. [More]
Cops: Pregnant Woman Armed With Hairspray Attacks Store Employee While Shoplifting
By 1.17.12
Police say a pregnant woman in South Carolina tried to shoplift from a beauty supply store, and when she was caught, she allegedly whacked the apprehending employee upside the head with a can of pilfered hairspray. Such an example to set for an unborn child! [More]
