|
On October 19 2010 09:04 saltywet wrote: i stole some kid's pokemon cards when i was 9. his cards weren't even that good, iirc, he had a dugtrio and like 10 nidorans
edit: my mistake, thought this was about stealing, no i never shoplifted wtf! that's so much worse than shoplifting
|
I have two stories for you, OP!
1. I had a friend who used to steal a lot from HyperMarkets (we have A LOT of those here in Romania, like Carrefour/Cora/etc). Probably the equivalent of Wall-Mart, but I don't know how big those Wall-Marts are. Basically, in a hyper market you'll find everything, part from obscure items like cars/boats/etc. And I mean furniture, electronics, food, clothes, everything.
Needless to say, there are thousands of people in these stores, so they CAN'T possibly follow everyone. I had a friend who used to pocket a lot of small things: aftershave, condoms, chocolate bars, etc. He would then also buy some trivial items and leave. He did this less than 10 times, but took quite a lot of items (I bought about 10+ packs of condoms from him at a quarter of the price). However, once he got caught with about $30-40 worth of merchandise. They made him give it back and "pay" for it, which was basically a bribe to the security guards in order for them to NOT call the police. When they took him in the security room, they have showed recordings of him stealing. Also, he was somewhat told that if he ever shows up there again, they'll be watching him constantly. Not much of a deterrent but you know...
2. This other friend of mine has just started his nasty-spree. We go shopping, and he just takes random drinks (mostly red bull), opens them up and drinks them, then puts the empty can in the shopping cart. Later on (15+ minutes), he puts the item back on a shelf at random, and heads to the register.
Technically, this isn't stealing, since he's not leaving the store with any items. They can, at most, make him pay for the opened bottle if they catch him. But he does this a lot and finds it really funny. He probably won't get caught anytime soon, because the items are too trivial. However, he's planning on moving on to larger things (like chips, chocolate, etc.). I'll let you know how that turns out.
Once, we were buying stuff for a picnic, and had 30 cans of beer. We took one out for the register to scan and told her we had 29 more (so she would input 30x *scan*), but she didn't hear it. We then proceeded to push the cart through and add the other items to it. She only scanned one can of beer, and nobody around noticed. We told her that she forgot the other 29, but we could've easily left with free booze.
|
On October 19 2010 08:44 kuresuti wrote: I've never shoplifted in a store which had those, but I've seen a friend of mine get past them with stuff and they didn't beep. I assume he had the stuff in his shoes or somehow got it through there without passing the item between the detectors, I imagine with some sleight of hand it can be done fairly easily.
I'm somewhat knowledgeable in shoplifting - I've stole everything from food to electronics to clothes, a backpack, hair straightener... err yeah.
Suffice to say however, I've pretty much stopped.
BUUUUUT, for educational purposes, I can tell you that the beeping things work on one thing - electromagnetism.
The two bars actually have a RANGE so stuffing something in your shoe wont work - you'd possibly have to throw the item over the bars which is kinda stupid.
There are also some bars which are positioned outside the shop - these ones don't have a range in between them - their range is around the bar itself. I'm not the best at physics so I'll let someone else do the explaining if they will, but I'll move on.
There are two ways people can bypass them
a) Remove the magnet from the item b) wrap it in aluminum foil
There were some cases in Sydney where these single mothers would stick a crapload of junk in prams and cover it with alfoil, just walk out.
Removing the magnetized material is pretty easy you've either got to a) burn a special part of it to remove something from inside of it and just pull it out, chuck it in a bin b) just pull hard on the magnet c) peel it off (eg. DVD's) though often they are cased inside a large plastic box and it would be more economical to just wrap it in alfoil and shove it down your pants.
This information was pretty easily accessible too - at totse
The website is now down for good though there is a new version of it on the webs.
|
On October 19 2010 08:38 LuckyFool wrote: I used to work at Best Buy and ppl would steal shit all the time.
these are just a couple of the many stories,
We had these huge karaoke sets that came in big boxes. They'd take the box and open it and take the karaoke stuff out and shove it behind something on some back aisle somewhere. Then they'd put like 10 expensive TV remotes or some other smaller expensive electronics to make it weigh about the same as it does with the karaoke gear in there then package the box back up and walk out the front door with it after paying $50 at the cash register when there's really like $2000 worth of stuff. The front alarm could go off but the front dude just checks the receipt and after seeing he paid for it he lets him go.
More intense situations happen when dudes come into the store in teams of 3 or 4 (all with headsets disguised as cell phones, or cell phones, so they can communicate with each other) and 2 of them distract employees (happened to me while I was working one day) while another one makes off with 8k worth of PC gear. Literally all it takes is for you to turn for 3 seconds and its gg.
I remember reading stories on digg about how people would buy electronics from bestbuy/CC and when they get home, they would take the stuff out, put a heavy rock in it with approximately the same weight, and somehow reseal the box so that it looks like it have never been opened so the cashier/return person can't really open the box to check it's contents. People ended up buying a new macbook pro and when they got home and opened it, it was literally a rock .
|
I stole a pack of Pokemon cards from this place [that we thought was] called the Hot Spar, which was a convenience store in Okinawa Japan. I always kinda felt bad about it and vowed to never do it again. Mind you, I was ~12 years old at the time.
I also worked at Michaels Arts & Crafts and, the store we were in anyway, the sensors/detectors that beep if you walk out with something were fake. I think someone figured this out and spread the word because every time we did inventory, unreasonable amounts of small items (little bags of beads and whatnot) were always missing. Being as that my primary job was unboxing stuff and scanning them in, I know that I didn't miss any scans, so unless stockers put stuff away wrong, the counts were way off.
|
intrigue
Washington, D.C9933 Posts
one of my good friends is a very real kleptomaniac, and every time we end up going anywhere i am surprised all over again. she simply cannot help herself and will take stuff and not even be fully aware of it. very strange and amazing to watch.
|
On October 19 2010 09:29 CubEdIn wrote:
2. This other friend of mine has just started his nasty-spree. We go shopping, and he just takes random drinks (mostly red bull), opens them up and drinks them, then puts the empty can in the shopping cart. Later on (15+ minutes), he puts the item back on a shelf at random, and heads to the register.
Technically, this isn't stealing, since he's not leaving the store with any items. They can, at most, make him pay for the opened bottle if they catch him. But he does this a lot and finds it really funny. He probably won't get caught anytime soon, because the items are too trivial. However, he's planning on moving on to larger things (like chips, chocolate, etc.). I'll let you know how that turns out.
same my friend would grab a new drink so it was buy one get one free LOL
|
Places like Best Buy are really easy to steal from, they have terrible security. Those alarms and scanners dont do anything to stop petty theft, more to annoy the innocent customer that didnt have his receipt checked or something.
|
Brunei Darussalam622 Posts
Before you read, you must understand that I don't condone stealing unless it is absolutely necessary.
It is so easy to steal from grocery stores.
I've probably swiped over 1000$ of food alone. And it's not even hard. Most of them have cameras, but no one ever watches them and usually only the ones near the registers are on. They are not there to catch shoplifters but rather to make sure the cashiers aren't stealing from the register.
I'd routinely walk into a Food Lion or something with my ex. She'd have her little shoulder bag and i'd just wear a light jacket or something. With a little practice, you can learn to hide so much shit on your body without it showing. And the lady would just throw absolutely anything into her bag. Then we'd walk through the line and buy something stupid like a coke or a jug of milk.
Lived like that for nearly a year. Only been 'caught' once. Someone saw my ex pull a soda that she actually had purchased from her bag and start drinking it. We just happened to also be on a mission that day, so it kinda sucked. They reported it to the bossman and the bossman confronted us, but he was super polite. Our conversation went something like this: "I've noticed you were putting something into your bag. I know some people like to carry their own bag in with them to avoid plastic bags. That's what you were doing, wasn't it?" "Yes of course. Thank you for your concern." And that was that. He left and we discreetly put everything back. We walked out without buying anything, but we also didn't have any stolen goods so it didn't matter if they said something again. We avoided that store for about a month, then it was back to business as usual.
It helps to work in pairs. One spotting and blocking, the other getting the majority of the goods.
Stay away from anything electronic or cosmetics/bathroom supplies unless you are absolutely sure the coast is clear and there are not any trackers. Also, sometimes in book stores they put in little microchips on a tiny slip of paper and tuck it in the pages, so just fan through it and make sure to everything out.
Just be smart and you can get away with petty theft pretty safely. Always be sure to make sure no one is watching but dont look like a creep. Also, don't linger. Either do it or dont. If you spend time in the store trying to psych yourself up, you begin to look suspicious and start to draw attention.
|
I don't steal, and I would never think of doing it, but this thread is absolutely AWESOME. Its like a complex real-world puzzle, and it's risky if you do something wrong.
EDIT: Just remembered something interesting. A friend of mine used to go to King Soupers, and grab 2 Xbox Live 12 Month Cards. He'd go to the self-checkout, swipe card A and a pack of gum. Then, he would go up to the cashier and tell him that he would like to void the Xbox Live Card, because he doesn't have enough cash. He would give the cashier card B, and then check out, keeping card A. Supposedly, it works due to a software bug in the King Soupers System. Also works for gift cards.
|
Just cover it up by purchasing something. Worked at Best Buy. :D
|
i shop lifted a candy bar at my local dollar discount store...
im very ashamed of myself ;_;
but i was hungry...
|
On October 19 2010 10:01 Gogleion wrote: I don't steal, and I would never think of doing it, but this thread is absolutely AWESOME. Its like a complex real-world puzzle, and it's risky if you do something wrong.
EDIT: Just remembered something interesting. A friend of mine used to go to King Soupers, and grab 2 Xbox Live 12 Month Cards. He'd go to the self-checkout, swipe card A and a pack of gum. Then, he would go up to the cashier and tell him that he would like to void the Xbox Live Card, because he doesn't have enough cash. He would give the cashier card B, and then check out, keeping card A. Supposedly, it works due to a software bug in the King Soupers System. Also works for gift cards.
that worked at a grocery store I worked at as well for the longest time, the programers couldn't even figure out how to fix it for almost 6 months. We had to check digits on the back of the cards, it was such a pain
|
this one time in highschool i was really high and wanted to make hash and i needed a fine mesh screen to do it, but i had no money. so my friends drove me to home depot and i went into the bathroom with the screen and then put it in the back of my shirt. well somebody called on me or something for walking into the bathroom with an item and people started following me, when i went towards an exit i would see people talking on radios waiting for me, so i went into a aisle with nobody around and ditched it and then walked out, and i know because i saw the same people at every exit like they had beaten me there. it was so scary, and dumb.
|
On October 19 2010 09:56 Dienosore wrote: Before you read, you must understand that I don't condone stealing unless it is absolutely necessary.
---
Just be smart and you can get away with petty theft pretty safely. Always be sure to make sure no one is watching but dont look like a creep. Also, don't linger. Either do it or dont. If you spend time in the store trying to psych yourself up, you begin to look suspicious and start to draw attention.
This is very true. One of the two guys I mentioned in my first post (kid was obsessed with stealing stuff) would always come into our dorm rooms and see how much stuff he could take right under our noses. He always gave it back; I think he thought he was honing his skills or something. His philosophy was just to act like the stuff was his and take it like it was the most normal thing in the world. Most people looking straight at him don't even notice what he's doing because he isn't acting suspicious in a way that attracts their focus.
|
On October 19 2010 10:09 Hunch wrote: i shop lifted a candy bar at my local dollar discount store...
im very ashamed of myself ;_;
but i was hungry...
And you will starve again unless you learn the meaning of the law!
In another time you would've gotten five years for what you did, and 14 more because you tried to run...
+ Show Spoiler +Then resurface as a wealthy factory owner under a different alias while escaping an obsessed detective, then adopt a prostitute's daughter, save your son in law, spare the life of your past's spectre, and find redemption before dying with your loved ones + Show Spoiler +
|
I've never understood why people steal candy bars and food. When you steal you take a risk, and to get caught for stealing something that costs like five dollars seems silly to me. Just in terms of optimal risk for reward. Though granted if you get caught stealing something that costs $5 vs caught stealing something that costs $50, the consequence/punishment for the latter will be greater. I guess maybe in certain places if you get caught stealing something that costs a couple bucks they just make you put it back or give you a slap on the wrist. But in Singapore I think you'd get in quite a bit of trouble either way.
I'd say theft is fairly easy logistically if you are cautious and careful about it and don't get cocky. But it's difficult in the nerves department though -- you need courage and nerves.
I definitely don't condone stealing though.
EDIT:
On October 19 2010 10:31 Happy.fairytail wrote:Show nested quote +On October 19 2010 10:09 Hunch wrote: i shop lifted a candy bar at my local dollar discount store...
im very ashamed of myself ;_;
but i was hungry... And you will starve again unless you learn the meaning of the law! In another time you would've gotten five years for what you did, and 14 more because you tried to run... + Show Spoiler +Then resurface as a wealthy factory owner under a different alias while escaping an obsessed detective, then adopt a prostitute's daughter, save your son in law, spare the life of your past's spectre, and find redemption before dying with your loved ones + Show Spoiler + I know the meaning of these nineteen years! A slave... of the law...
|
lol OP, your bus idea won't work, or at least where i'm from it won't.
Bus Tickets have some validation thing on it. SO if you pass it back down the line, and insert it into the validation thing again, it'll just read "passback" and is voided =O
In which you get many many angry people behind you wanting to get on the bus on a rainy day lol
|
Canada8028 Posts
I worked in Wal-Mart for a while. There's a room in the front (or the back. Depends on the store) called loss prevention where all the camera feeds go. There's pretty much always somebody in there. Of course, they can't see everything at once since the store's pretty big, so they often rely on the other employees to report stuff to them over the phone or paging system. They'll still surprisingly good at catching people. But then again, a ridiculous number of people seem to steal from Wal-Mart.
Not all items have the tags that set off the sensors at the front of the store. Mostly it's limited to expensive items other stuff like that. Bear in mind that not all entrances have security gates - the garden center, for instance, usually doesn't. It's more closely monitored for that reason. In any case, the security measures are moot if you can just remove the packaging. A lot of people like to steal those shitty discount movies and DS games this way. And that's why they invented that spider wrap stuff.
I'm sure this has been posted on TL before, but I can't find the thread. Anyways, it's a bit heavier than petty theft, but it's fascinating stuff nonetheless: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2992082
|
lol, i dont get why there are people in here teaching other people how to shoplift. it's really not something that should be spread around
|
|
|
|