Shop lifting

[Marie0]

Apologies I am not sure if this is the right section to post, just after some advice...

My friend revealed to me last night that she regularly shoplifts. Funny thing is she has a very comfortable life style and certainly doesn't need to. (She has plenty of money)

She does it at supermarkets and steals groceries by putting them in a shopping bag which she hangs on the trolley and puts other items in the trolley.

She then goes to the checkout and says if she was caught (or asked) at the checkout about the other bag full of stuff she would simply say I've just bought all this stuff through the self service checkout and forgot a few items.

She said the Self service checkout asks if you want a print out for a receipt and she declines so therefore would simply say that she didn't think she would need the receipt.

I asked her why she does it and she says she gets a 'kick' out of it! Yesterday she stole a chicken, and jar of coffee. She says she only steals about £10 worth of goods every time she goes to the supermarket.

She doesn't appear to have any mental health issues and no criminal history. I didn't really react when she told me.

Certainly don't want her to get into trouble, but surely it's just a matter of time before she gets caught? I

AIBU if I tell her husband? But that's of course breaking her confidence.

Any advice??

I wouldn't tell, it'll come out at some point, you don't need to hurry the process. Shame your mate has to get "kicks" this way. Eventually it'll become boring and will need to do more for that Adrenalin rush.

She will get caught. She’s being naive if she tho is the shop doesn’t have a record of self service transactions whether or not she gets a receipt or not! She has an illness and should seek help. Her poor family when she does get caught.

For a start just just call it theft, it’s stealing
Shop lifting minimises it
Your friend obviously gets a kick out of it, if she’s well spoken and smart she will probably get away with it longer than most but she will get caught eventually
I dint think you can tell her husband though

Your friend is a dick

Used to run a little shop and wealthy enough people stealing for the lols is very common.

We caught people doing it and one of them offered to let us run a few hundred on her card if we didn't call the old bill.

Thursday morning whilst at self serve there was someone trying to get away after trying exactly this. They didn't as there was no record and were taken away by security. They went around every till (this was how I and others waiting knew) as she kept changing her mind as to which one she'd used. You could see her panic building every time the till showed she'd not bought anything, it was obvious what she'd done to everyone. Very sad.

She's being very silly and needs to get her adrenaline rush some other way.

It becomes addictive and she'll eventually get carried away (both figuratively and literally).

My advice: warn her and tell her to get her kicks some other (legal) way!

Do people always get caught though ... not sure they do.

I wouldn't get involved OP, but I would give her a wide berth because if she thinks that's okay, what else does she do? If she asked why I would say. Supermarkets have CCTV on the self service tills and increasing numbers of them use security tags on things like joints and chickens. She'd soon be caught out if stopped.

easyandy - wow really? I know I'm incredibly naive but just assumed people who stole either were really hard up or had drug habits to feed by selling all the stuff down the local pub later.

Why do wealthy people do it then? I don't get the 'kick' part.

Moom - yeah you're right probably not good to tell anyone. I just don't get it, she was so excited she obviously felt the need to share this unhealthy (and illegal) habit with someone

Relatively normal I would say. All my friends talk about stealing from shops. I dont but loads do.

Creeper - I must live in a bubble lol - do your friends steal just cos they don't fancy paying? I know it's tempting but surely they worry about getting caught?

Does she not realise there are active cameras. As for her thinking about the till receipt, the staff can, of course, access all transactions and if there is no record of anyone buying, say, a chicken and some coffee in the last day then she's scuppered. Just tell her it impacts directly on what YOU pay - which it does as the supermarket has to cover her 'free shopping' somehow.

Well anyone who steals helps put prices up as retailers have to cover the cost somehow.

Yeah I asked her about the cameras, but she says she puts the groceries in the bag in an aisle where there are no cameras. Some supermarkets have more cameras in specific aisles presumably

Yeah I will tell her that if there is no record of the sale regardless of no receipt then of course she will be caught.

I'm hoping it's just a phase! she's been doing it for about 3 months so presumably this would be classed as a phase if it stops soon

She will get caught as she gets cockier. Supermarkets know all the tricks and it's eye opening the lengths people go.

And it's all sorts of people, too. Many are quite posh and can easily afford to pay for their shopping. The drug addicts arr the first to get caught as they srick out like a sore thumb and the don t bother being devious. They rely on sheer speed at getting out and weak piints such as unmanned exits, staff shortages

Definitely because they dont fancy paying. I have a friend that stole a bag of soil the other day so definitely not essentials.

People use the self checkout to steal apparently, e.g passing more expensive items like avocados off as carrots. I read that Tesco have sold way more carrots than they’ve ever had in stock.

I think this sort of thing is often a symptom of an emotional lack. There is often a psychological reason why people do this if it isn't money.

I wouldn't get involved. I find it odd she told you though.

Yep Bees - she is quite wealthy, but she also has a respectable job in a school which I'm sure she would lose potentially if she were caught.

Creeper lol at the bag of soil!

Seren - I never thought of the carrots v avocado thing! I might try that (only joking!)

What I meant was they'll soon be able to check if she has been through the self checkout at all. Did she say why she was doing it or did you ask?

Marie0

That's definitely the more normal demographic, or perhaps just the demographic that makes the most sense. The only people we routinely called the police on were the posh ones, we figured the junkies were doing it more from need than anything else.

It was a real eye opener though when ever we caught supposedly wealthy people at it. They were sometimes people we spoke to daily as regular customers

light - yes I am not sure why she told me, I think she just wanted to share her excitement with someone. I think immediately afterwards she regretted it though when I didn't say 'oh I do that too'. I think she'd also had a glass or two of wine

Is your friend Richard Madely?

She has plenty of money

Course she does ~ she's not spending any!

Perhaps she's not as wealthy as she makes out?? I can't think of many other reasons for stealing food. She may be desperately trying to maintain a facade. A whole chicken and jars of coffee aren't cheap items.