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 am truly appalled by this.

On a couple of occasions I have reported people I have seen stuffing things into rucksacks in my local supermarket.

I think it's plain wrong and a bit pathological. Sounds like she has a sad life if she wants to score points like this. I WOULD make it plain to her that I don't approve, stealing is just wrong, regardless of caring about whether or when she gets caught.

The supermarkets could know what shes up too, colecting evidence and waiting for the right time to sweep in. I second the person who said give her a wide bearth as her morals messed up.

She will get caught eventually, especially if she if she is doing it repeatedly. There’s always staff standing by the self checkouts watching people and I’m sure there is a lot of cctv.
Remember when Anthony worrel-Thompson was caught stealing groceries for no reason. It’s true people get a kick out of it.

Apologies - there was talk of sainsburys and Morrisons merging last year but it apparently fell through I thought it had happened.

However, even staunch rival companies do communicate regarding theft (I agree shop lifting as a term is minimising - it's stealing!) and certainly communicate with and cooperate with police on such matters.

She is being unbelievably stupid to risk her career for a "thrill"

I remember this article a while back- think it is quite a common thing x

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5215073/Shoppers-steal-3-2bn-self-service-tills-year.html

I have heard that some grocery stores build cases on prolific shoplifters and nab them after it reaches a certain total. So instead of apprehending them when they’ve stolen £10 worth of stock, they’ll let them steal and apprehend them later when they have record and cctv footage proving that they have stolen £500 worth of stock over time. Then they can hand all the evidence over to the police, and so the shoplifter will end up in a much worse predicament than a slap on the wrist.

So what I’m trying to say is maybe that store is aware of your friend and are building a case on her.

Also her excuse is abysmal - they can and will check till records for her receipt. It isn’t hard or long to do either, it’s very simple and quick. They can even just radio to someone in back of house to check cctv!

Records*

Hannnnnnxo I don’t think you can do that. You can’t let someone walk out over and over and “save” the offences up to one big one? The CPS wouldn’t bother with all the rigmarole

Look there is no point being conspiracy theorist about it- shops are dealing with prolific shoplifters every day, they have plenty they continuously catch without conducting some kind of long term stake out for a minor offender.

Truth is the consequences will never be that bad for shoplifting but she likely will get caught and being a normal, average person will find it incredibly humiliating and shameful, and probbaly stop. Best thing for her would be getting caught to be fair.

@glintandglide

They did EXACTLY that with Anthony worrel. Read the articles. They waited until they had their most senior security person from head office down, and then waited to nab him, and nab him they did

He’d done it multiple times and they were aware of it but told to wait

They most certainly can and will do for prolific shoplifters. It’s very easy to remember a repeat shoplifter’s face. It’s also to prove that it wasn’t a one off accident or mistake if they do this repeatedly.

I wouldn’t take that as an example of the way shop security works to be honest. There are all sorts of strange things about that that make it very different from your average shoplifting situation

@glintandglide Also conspiracy theorist - please. I used to work in high end retail whilst at university and would discuss shoplifters with our security team all the time. They will take different approaches to shoplifters from telling them not to do it again, calling the police or building a case etc. It’s not as mind blowing as you’re insinuating

Yes hannnnnxo absolutely there are the same old faces over and over.
But you have to call the police and have them arrested multiple times to start to get them into the criminal justice systems with a more serious outcome.

Security guards are just members of the public, they can’t just “forget” about 5 instances, call the police on the 6th and then suddenly ask the police to put forward a prosecution for all 6. The chances are extremely high they’ll waste the first 5 times they turned a blind eye

Yes hannnnxxxo everyone worked in retail at uni 🤣

Sainsbury and asda but yes they do talk to each other

I think the supermarket probably knows she is stealing and is letting the value of thefts build so she will get a custodial sentence.

What she is doing is wrong.

She clearly has mental health issues that need to be addressed - she is getting her "thrills" from this as she has none in other areas of her life, usually in these cases.

You need to tell her to stop. And tell her that having a tag or going to prison is not going to give her any thrills, either.

My parents were friends with a lawyer who stole an expensive book from a bookshop while they were with him. He admitted he did it quite regularly. They distanced themselves from him after this incident.

My BIL does this. He's a high earner in a respectable job. Yet every time he goes to the supermarket he will steal something. It's very odd. I've asked him why he does it and he couldn't really answer. It's just something he does for kicks. I now refuse to go in shops with with him incase he does it when I'm there.

I've heard that a couple of people I know do similar things. Also buying an item to wear once and return. Once after an evening out, I found out that one member of the group had managed to smuggle out some of the table decor. I was upset, as it's a local place that I would like to use again.

I don't really get it. These are grown ups with children. I can't imagine the embarrassment of being caught.

Really the people saying the supermarkets are allowing her to get away with this so they can build a big case against her?? How would that work? Not sure they could do this.

I wouldn't let this women near my house or any valuables who knows what else she'll find "thrilling" to steal.

If the OP's friend were RM I would so want her to dob him in and get him off the airwaves for a while .