Wrongly accused of shoplifting and harrassment.

[JenniferBooth]

Ive been maliciously accused of shoplifting. By a woman in a well known news store currently undergoing a name change. This was last month on Saturday 26th July. This was followed by someone posting false accusations about me on social media Ive reported it to the police under the Malicious Communications Act AND IVE BEEN GIVEN A CRIME NUMBER It escalated on Sunday 17th August where a man ive never met before "confronted" me in another shop (supermarket corner shop) calling me a shoplifter and repeating the same shit from last month. Ive updated the police as its harassment. Ive never shoplifted in my life. Ive got piles and piles of carrier bags from this news store and have spent a lot of money there since my teens (im now in my fifties) I was ringing solicitors yesterday but havent found one to handle a case like this.

A week after the accusation she compounded the issue by posting on facebook a load of lies about me saying i go in there and shout at staff, there is loads of cctv footage of me, (which there isnt as i never did any of this stuff) and that as a mystery shopper she has caught me loads of times And the way i am with staff and the general public is disgusting How did people on social media know it was you? Did she tag you? Or post a photo of you? How did she know your name? I mean, my DH works in retail and knows lots of first names, but she’d have to know your surname too, wouldn’t she? Have you ever been a mystery shopper there? Had you ever spoken to her before she made the initial accusation?

I know you’ve emailed head offices, but have you been in the store to speak to the woman’s manager to a) ask her why you weren’t stopped at the time so you could show your receipt for whatever they were accusing you of stealing, and b) ask what the fuck the woman thought she was doing posting your identity all over social media without giving you a chance to defend yourself. Ask them if the woman had her manager’s permission to do this. I know pubs and restaurants often do it for people who have walked out on their meals, but this is a big nationwide store; surely it contravenes some sort of policy? And ask why, if they hold cctv footage of you appearing to steal something, then why can’t they show it to you so that you can produce a dated receipt proving that you paid for it?

I wouldn’t recommend posting anything on the town’s FB page denying it. Least said, soonest mended. If you do feel that it’s something that you have to do, then maybe just say that you’ve recently been falsely accused of shoplifting, you’ve escalated a complaint to head office and it is being dealt with but you’ve now been approached by a man in town who thought it was ok to try and intimidate you for something that you’ve never done, so you want to make it very clear that you are not a shoplifter, you deny this woman’s accusations completely and you have never been rude to any shop staff. Of course, if you ever have been a bit off with anyone, that then opens the door for them to argue with you, so think very, very carefully about it before you do anything.

The only thing I would say is that you’re clearly and quite rightly very upset about it, and it’s perhaps making you post in a way that isn’t necessarily showing you in the best light. So if you’re going to go on your local FB page, maybe get someone you trust to check it before you press ‘post’. It’s not going to help you if people start arguing with you about it, or taking the piss (as some people will do on every post) and you bite back at them, because they’ll stop having sympathy for you having been falsely accused and start thinking that you’re proving the woman right. In the mean time, tighten up your social media security settings and change your profile pic to some scenery or something generic.

The shops also share information , so your picture and description might well have been given to other shops . An awful thing to happen to you .

Why are you goading OP? Every comment you’ve made is to try get a rise out of her. You sound like a pathetic bully

@JenniferBooth I'm still confused who posted the Facebook post.
Do you think it was the TGJones staff member? I doubt they'd risk their job by doing that?
Was it actually the manager who accused you?

Hi, OP -

I am sorry you’ve been given a hard time on this thread. False accusations can make anyone feel crazy, just at the time when we need to stay calm and focused. I’ve been wrongly accused and it is awful.

Thanks to @Greenwitchart and everyone after her (I hope my memory is correct that she was the first) who stood up for you.

I agree that when you’re feeling calm and clear, and not before, bringing only those receipts from this shop (not your mass of receipts) that show you to be a regular, honest shopper and asking to speak with the manager might help. Practise first so you can speak to the point without wasting words and stay calm no matter what they say. You could ask to see the CCTV with the aim of distinguishing between yourself and your double.

Good luck with this

That make sense - I recongise this poster from political threads and housing threads - social housing usually - so very surprised another poster was claiming she never posted anything before.

It may be someone looks like you is shop lifting in area - I once did a day trip to city never been to before and a shop assitant there insisted I was a local who'd bought item of clothing week before and bought it back - and should make my mind up - DH and MIl backing me up made no dent in her belief what so ever.

I can see why you are upset - I really can but I think avoidng shopping center for a while and asking FB and the person running the towns face book page to take down your picture is first step. I'd also try complaint in writing to the store mananger and the mangement company of the shopping center.

I have to admit I like paper recipts - easist thing to prove paid for what have though increasingly dislike the surpised look and huff I get in some shops when asked and say yes - some just don't give them out anymore which is annoying.

A lot of bullying on this thread. It's an unpleasant read.

If people want to obsess about another shoplifting thread, can they go and post on that one and stop sneering at OP's distress?

OP, keep your head high, keep your friendly relationship with other shops, and keep shopping. Report posts on social media to administrators if they misrepresent or insult you. Give yourself a cooling off period with the newsagent and then see if you want to return there.

Best of luck.

I'm sorry @JenniferBooth I had been out with the kids and posted quickly. It sounded familiar. I can understand you feeling upset by this. Have you spoken to the WHSmith store manager.
I'm a similar age and if I was accused of shoving magazines down my top I would stand there till a manager came and demand an explanation.
I would not be spending another pound in The overpriced shop and I would send a complaint to head office.
I would tell anyone else to fuck off and hold your head up.

@JenniferBooth
I think you need to do the following.
Speak to the actual store manager (arrange an actual meeting).
Contact the admin of the Facebook group to remove any posts.
If random bloke says "are you the WHSmith shoplifter" say "no I am not" and don't engage with him anymore.
If it's the store manager who has banned you then you could go further to their head office but remember it's TGJones you have to contact as they have taken over the shops.

Sorry this has happened to you OP and sorry you've had so many awful replies from arseholes.

The way the OP has been treated by many of the posters on this thread is vile. Makes me ashamed to be part of MN.

This is good advice @JenniferBooth , but I would add, try to bring someone else with you if you decide to set up a meeting with the manager.

It's so much easier not to get upset when you aren't directly involved, so having someone else there could be a real bonus.

Are you sure they just haven’t changed the signage yet, as WH Smith website says they only operate hospitals and travel sites.

Supported by the fact WH Smith’s have themselves pointed the OP to TG Jones, the evidence would suggest this is in fact a TG Jones store.

This is rubbish have you replied on social media? Or called get out to post the cctv because she doesn’t have it so can’t show it? Not that u should have to but maybe shows others she is full of it!

I always take a receipt, I remember a thread on here about it and I thought it’s safer to take one avoids any confusion. Would hate anyone to think I had stolen nevermind it to be on social media.

on another note what is a BAM? Couldn’t figure that out!

It sounds like a really distressing situation, OP @JenniferBooth . Hope you manage to get it sorted and clear your name soon. Good luck.

This is good advice about bringing someone. You may also be treated better because you have a witness

Your best bet here is to report the malicious post to Facebook, and request that the group moderator removes it.

I wouldn’t bother worrying about the WHS investigation/ban, but if you’re in a small town and the Facebook post is causing strangers come up to you and accuse you in public then that is a significant problem.

Sorry you getting so much flack here OP.

My mum was accused of shoplifting when I was about 8, in the early 1970s. It was a packed store and miscommunication between the person who served her and knew she had paid, and the other worker who saw her pick up the item (a can of drink) and walk out. My memory of it is sketchy, but there was loud yelling from the shopkeeper in front of a lot of people. I'm guessing it only took minutes to sort it out, but mum was humiliated and refused to set foot in the store again. She was also embarrassed and worried about word spreading. It was long before social media and cancel culture, but she very definitely never forgot it.

When she passed away in 2019, I had the task of clearing out her place. She had kept every single receipt she had ever been given in the 34 years she lived in that home. I also take a receipt for all purchases, but I throw them away within a few days, unless it's a major purchase and related to the warrantee. I hope you can move on soon and get back to a more regular way of shopping.

As for the guy harassing you since, it has been a month, so not like we are talking multiple people a week. I hope you told him to sod off. I get that it must be unsettling though, but on the whole, people do move on pretty quickly. I would hope that this wouldn't happen again, but maybe you would feel a bit better, if you had something written to had anyone who approached you again. I asked Chat GPT what to write.

I know that some here will probably say this is equally crazy, but if it makes you feel better to have a couple printed and in your bag, then do it.

Apart from that, do try to let it go. I know it must have felt awful, but you have to find a way to move past it. Wishing you well.

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to formally state that I was recently and falsely accused of shoplifting at WHSmith. This allegation has been fully investigated and disproven, and I have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Despite this, false and defamatory claims were circulated on social media, and I have since been subjected to harassment and verbal abuse in public by individuals acting on this misinformation.
Let me be absolutely clear: any further harassment, defamation of character, or disparaging remarks made about me — whether in person, online, or otherwise — will be treated as a criminal and civil matter. I will not hesitate to pursue action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the Defamation Act 2013, and any other applicable UK laws.
This is a final warning. Continued abuse or spreading of false information will result in immediate legal proceedings.
[Full Name]
[Optional: Date or contact information]

Obviously you don't have to add your name, but it may make the odd nutter think twice if it gets that far.

Just a couple of points (from someone who works in retail).

You can't go into a shop and demand to see the CCTV. We can only hand it over to the police (or other services). We are not allowed to show it to anyone who comes in off the streets.

And a shop can ban customers for any reason at all. You can be banned if we don't like your shoes, or the way you cough. Obviously they tend not to, because we want to make money, but the shop is entirely within its rights to deny you service for a made up, invented or spurious reason.

You’re amazing ❤️

I would like more information on the well-known beauty group. Is it a forum?

Well said.

Would be good to have the accuser in there to explain herself

Even though I admit I initially thought this sounded similar to the other poster, I’m actually really glad to see so many people defending the OP. I’m a long time poster (frequent name changer) but there’s lots of times where a poster gets piled on and it’s really awful to see. Glad it’s being called out.

OP I wouldn't bother with solicitors at this point. You've reported what you believe to be an offence to the police, so it's for them to deal with, and defamation cases are difficult and expensive to bring. It's unlikely any firm will be interested unless you have deep pockets.

Also, there aren't half some silly cunts on this thread.