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??

My local Tesco has what appears to be the most useless security guard ever. He looks like he's bored, seems to be paying very little attention to what's going on.

I popped in to buy my lunch, scanned everything through the till, packed up my shopping and started walking off. The "useless" security guard stepped in front of me and suggested I might like to pay for my shopping!

I looked back at the till and realised that although I'd pressed "Finish & Pay", I'd forgotten to do the actual paying bit! In my defence I was having a really shit day and was thinking about my work and clearly not paying attention.

Of course I apologised profusely and paid. The same security guard still eyes me with suspicion months later, though has at least stopped hovering behind me at the till now!

I. Was. Mortified! How anyone can get a kick out of it I don't know. I felt (and still do feel) dreadful that I'd almost "stolen" my lunch.

The other day I walked out of Azda with a trolley full of shopping I hadn't paid for, suddenly realised and stood outside in a complete panic dithering, eventually went back to customer service red faced and explained ( they were very nice !)

That's because you made a genuine mistake and are honest @lynmilne65. I've walked out of somewhere with something in my hand then realised and gone back in and paid.

'Every one has worked in a shop' Really?????

@Creeper8

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

^You might want to stop hanging out with scum people that think it’s okay to steal. This is not normal whatsoever!

Not read the whole thread but Wynonna Ryder didn't NEED to steal but had a problem... Remind your friend.

I couldn’t be friends with someone like her. It may seem minor to her, but it’s not. I’m appalled at the amount of people doing this.

Shoplifting is one of those things that has made me question my adult relationships. Growing up, I knew teenagers who shoplifted sweets or makeup, but it never really struck me as something a grown up would do.

When I find out that someone I otherwise like and respect, regularly does something I believe is wrong... It's hard for me to know where to draw the line between "live and let live" and time to find other friends.

Alpacanorange

Yes I know a lot of details because initially I could tell she wanted to tell me something and I had to prise it out of her.

I think my initial shock was disguised in enthusiasm for the conversation and asked a lot of questions hence the details.

I admit I was genuinely interested as I had never ever suspected her of this and also I was bewildered by why she actually had told me - I’m not sure she knew herself why.

Some have asked why we’re still friends- well despite this flaw she is actually an amazing person- kind, considerate, would go out of her way to help someone and she is a very supportive and good friend to me.

I don’t for one moment think she would steal from me, as that is ‘personal’ and entirely different from stealing from a supermarket.

I won’t tell anyone as I don’t think it would be right to break a confidence. She is still a good friend of mine and think she always will be

Am trying to imagine how I'd feel if a friend told me this.
A bit creeped-out, I think. Especially if they seemed to be a good person in other ways - like your friend.
I'd definitely tell them to expect no sympathy when they get caught.

She does sound like she is a very good friend to you and is just doing this for the thrill but if you can do anything to discourage her i would!

She might think they cant track her transactions but its very easily done. It only takes half hour to process through the main system where s copy of each receipts saved for 3 months.
So she can protest she paid at a self scan and rejected a reciept but that means nothing also there are cameras watching everyone who enters and leaves thenself scan area. And a camera that can zoom into every til manual or self scan and believe me they are very clear.
They can easily rewind cctv and see if she picked up cheese even if she didnt stuff it in her bag there and then they’ll want to know what she did with it and her story will fall apart.
As others have said I would be wortied theres more to it mentally.

We get some strange cases a posh business man used to steal his lunch every single day and it wasnt noticed for ages.

Also many years ago when i first worked in a shop we had a lady run out with a full trolley of shopping and start lobbing whatever she could into her car before security caught up with her.
They nabbed her in the carpark and she jumped into the car and sped off.... only she didnt just leave her half empty trolley behind she also left her baby!!!!!!
We were all just so stood there thinking well she will be back in a minute and she sheepishly pulled back into the carpark a few minutes later and broke down to security about not being able to afford her shopping.
Im not even sure what happened to her in the end as i wasnt as nosey as i would be nowadays lol.

We did have a man once who literally stole a kid size pizza, couple of pieces of fruit and a yoghurt. He absolutely broke down crying when he was stopped he had his son after school that day and had no money until the next day and was desperate to show he could feed him and be a good dad it was genuinely really sad. They gave him some food for him and the son in the end just enough to get through the evening. He came back in on payday and offered to pay hes a nice chap and hasnt stolen since.

Well, it's reassuring that they found compassion for a person in genuine need

Betsy

I cannot believe that comment about the woman who tried to empty the trolley load in her car and also left her baby!!!! OMG she must have had serious mental health issues!

Honestly op it was so strange i genuinely think she just forgot she had the baby with her in the heat of the moment and was just trying to avoid being caught.
We see some really strange things daily!xx