todays haul! $270.75 cost, paid $0 :))
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10 top ways shoplifters get caught
This was written by an LP, i merely copied and pasted it. REBLOG AND INFORM
Despite what you may have heard, there is no perfect shoplifting method. You can be caught NO MATTER how you try to steal. A lot of it is the luck of the draw. Is LP in the store? Are they busy with another shoplifter? Are they watching you? There is no way you can be sure. You can be sure however, that you significantly increase your chances of getting yourself caught when:
10)You carry a flat purse or back-pack: Fairly obvious, right? Not only is this an attention grabber, but it also makes the LP Agentâs job much easier. Your bag was flat, and then magically became full right after all the merchandise you were carrying disappeared. Did the LP Agent watch you fill your bag? That does not really matter. The LP Agent did not need to see concealment (See my article: The 6 Steps of Loss Prevention) to confidently make a stop on you. It is fairly obvious. Most LP Agents will make that stop. On top of being obvious, entering a store with an empty bag can also bump your charge from petty theft to burglary.
9)You over-act: You pick up the item you plan on stealing. You begin tapping on it, wiggling it, playing with it, and looking around like everything is cool. Yes, people actually think this works. When you take this approach you are basically telling LP Agents âHey, I am not going to steal this! Look, Iâm playing with it out in the open. I wouldnât be doing that if I were going to steal it.â Then you steal it. Happens all the time.
8)You under-act: You pick up the item you are going to steal and immediately palm the item, or hold it behind something. You then quickly walk off to the most deserted part of the store. The race is on. The LP Agent knows he needs to get a view of you, either on camera or on the floor to witness the concealment.
7)You are overly friendly: You come in and immediately start chatting with store employees. Youâre such a nice person! You would never steal. This will work when trying to deceive regular workers but LP is not falling for it. I have even had employees try to stop me from making an apprehension because they thought I was going to make a bad stop on that âniceâ person. When I see someone being overly friendly with cashiers, managers or anybody with a name tag, I immediately become suspicious. They could be a genuinely nice person but nice people steal too.
6)You fail the âscare testâ: When I suspect somebody is a shoplifter I will often give them the scare test. This means I will have several people walk past the area where my suspect is looking at items. A normal shopper will pay little to no attention to who is around them. A nervous shoplifter will turn their head at everyone that passes by. Often times they will look them up and down evaluating whether or not they seem like an undercover. When this happens it is a good indicator that I should set up on this person and wait for them to âgoâ.
5)You are bringing non-clothing items into the fitting room: Some people actually think that if they conceal merchandise in the fitting room that they can not be arrested by Loss Prevention Agents. This is because it eliminates the possibility of the LP Agentâs step # 3. This might work on some LP Agents, but certainly not the oneâs that are good at what they do. If I see someone bringing something into the fitting room that is not supposed to be tried on such as DVDs, Jewelry, makeup, etc., they have my full attention until I see them exit the fitting room carrying that merchandise. Believe me, bringing stuff into the fitting room is a false sense of security and it will get you caught.
4)You are leaving an evidence trail: You select the item you want to steal. You are not sure if the item will make the door beep or not so you decide to remove the item from the package. Or maybe you want to pretend the item was already yourâs so you rip the tags off. Now you can conceal the item. However, you also need to rid yourself of the package. So you discard it on the shelf, or you hide it behind something. You just made the LP Agents job 95% easier. Maybe they did not see you conceal the item, but they did see you toss something down or hide something. They find the package. Now LP knows what the item is, they know you removed it from the package (this is vandalism and is illegal), and they know you are up to no good. When you walk out of the store, all the LP Agent needs to do is approach you with the empty package and demand that you return the item. They will likely tell you that you are on video opening it (you may or may not be). They will tell you that if you do not return the item you will be charged with vandalism (this trick is likely against their LP policy but it is completely legal). Once you produce the item you are under arrest for theft. It is a lose-lose situation that you created by leaving a trail of packages and tags.
3)You have âshiftyâ eyes: Everyone knows that you are not supposed to blatantly look for cameras or look around for people when you are going to steal. However, it seems that the majority overcompensates. When you look up to the ceiling and then side to side without moving your head, you have âshifty eyesâ. Shifty eyes get shoplifters caught every day. In fact, if I am about to give up on a perspective shoplifter and they shift their eyes, I will watch them until they leave the store, no exceptions.
2)You use two hands: As an LP Agent, nothing catches my eye more than somebody with both hands on the sales shelf. When an honest shopper looks at a product of interest on the sales shelf, they typically take the item in one hand and remove it from the shelf to look at it in the open. When a shoplifter puts both hands on a product and does not remove the object from the shelf it is a DEAD GIVE AWAY that they are opening something. I have caught shoplifters that I otherwise would not have even noticed simply because they used two hands!
1)You just plain look like a shoplifter: You know who you are! This is by far the most common reason people get caught. If you fit the stereotypical profile of someone who would likely shoplift you are likely being watched as an âeasy statâ. So if you have 10 facial piercings, and a bright green mohawk, or if youâre just a shady looking character, donât do it.
REBLOG AND HELP A FRIEND
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If you are a baby lifter here are some of the best places to start
Dollar general: cameras are not monitored well and there are plenty of blindspots. Some items are tagged like makeup but it's only the barcode sticker tag so you'll be fine.
The dollar store/ dollar tree: super easy. All the cameras are ether fake or not being monitored, they don't care if items go missing because they are retailed so low. They have lots of candy and makeup so grab your biggest bag.
Hot topic ( in mall): the workers are on there phone half the time and the rest of the time they just don't care. Items are tagged but once again it's only the stickers. Lots of nice jewelery, shirts and hair dye. It's a free for all
Claires ( in mall) they only have one worker at a time. Try to go in right when they are piercing a kid so they are distracted. Things are tagged but it's the stickers so you can just peel them off and they have super cute earrings so it's worth it.
Spencers ( in mall) thier layout is SUPER crowded so you can easily duck behind things and put them in your bag. Workers half the time are similar to hot topic workers but sometimes you might get the try hard workers but it's fine if your outside of their line if sight
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Basic Tips For Newbies
So Iâm not the best at tips but Iâll give it a shot.
1. REGULAR BARCODES DO. NOT. SET. OFF. ALARMS. if itâs printed onto the object (shampoo bottle, facial cleanser, etc) it wonât set off the alarms.
2. âHow do I find a blindspot?â Walk around, crouch, behind shelves, displays whatever floats your boat. If you canât see a camera, it canât see you. But lol watch out for hidden cameras those are fuckers.
Now, on to what does set off towersâŚ
3a. Iâm not going to post a pic because mobile sucks balls but RFIDS will set off towers!! Always search for them. Theyâre puffy little thin rectangle stickers that have a barcode type design on them. Often put on makeup, almost any makeup or beauty products at bed bath and beyond, etc. They are also inside the boxes at a lot of stores so try to discreetly check for that. Just peel them off and put it on another item that doesnât have one on. They can get very sticky so make sure you get it all off.
3b. They also come in a square sticker. Perfectly square, kind of bumpy. Usually placed on perfumes. Again, just peel off (these usually take some time. Super super sticky) and stick on to something else.
3c. RFIDs in paper tags. You know that little tag thatâs attached to the clothing with the size and price on it? Some places and/or articles of clothing will have an RFID actually in the tag. You can just rip those off and hide it somewhere or throw them away.
3d. ALWAYS CHECK FOR THESE IN CLOTHES BECAUSE THESE ARE SNEAKY LITTLE SHITS. Usually in higher end clothes. I havenât had to deal with them yet but Iâm sure a ton of stores near me use them. On clothes, they all have those labels with washing directions. Look around for those. If you see one that is thick and usually says âremove before washing or wearingâ or something of that sort, cut it off! It has an RFID embedded into the clothing. Isnât source tagging great? Anyway. Like I said, just slice it off with little sewing scissors or a pocket knife or something, hide or discard.
3e. Those plastic tags that everyone knows and loves. Some need a magnet, some need hooks. If it had a hole in it, it needs a hook. If not, magnet. Wala (or however you spell it). Tags decoded. Now if youâre ever ballsy enough to get a hook or magnet, be extremely careful. That shit can get you caught so fast. Also Iâve heard to wrap your magnet in a bandana or something which is a good idea. Be careful and only detag using a magnet or hook when thereâs a lot of noise, business, etc. There will be a loud pop. But also be careful because while a lot of customer talk next to you can override the sound, they may have also worked in retail and can know the sound and snitch. So magnets and hooks are very risky, which is why Iâll never buy them.
Alright on to fitting rooms
4a. If fitting rooms are unattended and unlocked (like target sometimes, wet seal sometimes, etc) you have come across the holy grail of shoplifting. Enjoy this moment. Embrace it. And donât get sloppy and fuck up. What I mean by that is.. Youâre still on camera. Unless youâre damn good at concealing quickly on floor or double hanging, youâre probably not going to make it into the fitting room without a camera catching a glimpse of you carrying a bright yellow top (example of outstanding, noticeable pattern) and then not having it a few minutes later (if you concealed or hid it). So basically what Iâm trying to say is, itâs basically a free for all. But donât go into the dressing room with just one bright pink top and a bunch of other dull greys then come out with no bright colors. If youâre unlucky and someone is bored and watching the cameras, theyâll be onto you if not customer servicing you right away. So if youâre lifting a polka dot top, a bright yellow tee, etc., always have at least two of that same shirt/pattern and only steal one. And try not to make too many tips to the dressing room if youâre not buying anything because that will seem sus.
4b. Fitting rooms that are locked and unattended. Just get an SA to open it for you. If they count themselves, only take one or two things. But always test it out and make sure you can come out without them counting again. Marshallâs does that. Like okay sure stop me from stealing this half ass pair of shorts that are like 60% off. These are still pretty easy, just be cautious.
How to not seem suspicious.
5a. Well for starters donât clearly look up at the ceiling. If Iâm getting clothes at a place with a fitting room, I donât even bother to find a blind spot because I donât need it. Just subtly look for cameras if you have to. But be careful!!
5b. Getting clothes but donât wanna seem suspicious for not buying anything? Say youâre looking for an outfit for a dinner with family, a funeral, a football game. But please donât use the same excuse multiple times at the same store.
5c. Ask questions. Ask opinions from the SAs. Hell, they work there they should be somewhat into fashion depending on where you are. Ask for different sizes. Just basically donât be in a shell.
How to dress.
6a. Dress for the weather!! I know this is harder if you self harm and itâs summer so Iâm sorry but then maybe just wear a very light long sleeve shirt. Capris are very acceptable in summer as well. Scarves can be used to your advantage but again, make sure the type is the kind you would wear in the season youâre in.
6b. If youâre getting clothes, a structured bag helps. Or bring in old shopping bags with you and use that. If youâre getting makeup, it really doesnât matter. Using a slouchy bag might even seem less suspicious.
6c. Donât come to the mall, ulta, even target in just sweats and a tshirt if you plan on lifting and youâre clearly under around 25. Just donât. Work on your appearance. Break out that expensive makeup, put on nice shoes, make it seem like you could buy anything you want. But donât go to target wearing an mk selma and Chanel. I mean you could but I wouldnât. Just vary it by store. You want to blend in. Donât be memorable.
Timing in between hauls
7a. If youâre actually lifting, donât go to the same store more than twice per two weeks. And thatâs really cutting it close.
7b. If you lift one day but need to go to the store and youâre actually buying something, no time is needed in between. Just make sure you donât lift more than two days per two weeks.
7c. If youâre sloppy and think an SA is suspicious of you, more time is needed between hauls. Iâd say donât go back to that store for about 3-4 weeks. And go at a different time and day than you did.
7d. If you set off towers, donât go back for about 3-4 weeks. Now my pet peeve is people setting off towers because it always makes me worried it will amp up security over time. I get that towers malfunction and even people buying stuff set off towers but it just bugs me. But I have set off towers before so I canât really say anything more. I knew I was gonna set it off too but I couldnât help it. Anyway, if you set off towers, Iâd wait a long time to come back. Retail is actually really good at remembering people.
Boosting sites
8. Poshmark, mercari, vinted, eBay. Poshmark seems to be the most common. Just research those and find one you like.
Actual boosting tips
9a. Take about 20-30% off your item if itâs brand new. If itâs damaged, take 40-50% off. It all depends on the item and condition. Keep in mind poshmark makes the customer pay $5 for shipping which is a lot so if a customer tries to offer too low, donât get too upset. People will ask for $30 or less for a naked palette. Just donât take the offer and move on. (Unless youâre okay with accepting. I mean what, so you only earn $30 for that palette you got for free? It still adds up and youâre making someoneâs day by only charging that much. I donât boost but if I did boost lifted stuff, Iâd sell it for super cheap every now and then.)
9b. Now Iâm sure youâve seen those hauls with 15+ palettes in them. We all have. But do not say you have like 7 more naked palettes in stock!!! That just seems weird because nobody has 7 naked 2s they got for their birthday that they donât want. So just try to keep some time in between each item you sell if youâve sold it before. Even use different sites if you want. Just donât make it too suspicious that you have 10 extra $54 palettes.
9c. Now a question Iâve seen come up a lot is âIâm a minor and donât want my parents to know Iâm boosting.â Now honestly this will be hard to hide. If you have a car, just go to the post office ms drop it off there. Put it in the mail when your parents arenât home. Basically just do anything when youâre parents arenât there or say youâre sending it to a friend that moved or something. I canât give much advice here but just donât get caught sending out like six packages a month. Theyâll start to get suspicious.
On to vocab from the community.
10. >Lifting: The act of shoplifting goods and/or services ILLEGALLY from a store and/or person (donât steal from people, Iâll do more on that later.)
>SA: Store/Sales associate. Employees in stores that can and will get you caught. Watch out for them. Be nice to them.
>LP: Loss prevention/Loss Protection: The very people whoâs sole job it is to keep you from coming home with hauls. May be 1 per store, may be one per region. Just assume theyâre always in store, eyes glued to the cameras.
>AP: Asset protection: (see LP)
>Sus: Suspicious. The act of being or seeming suspicious.
>CS'ed: Customer serviced. An SA may be suspicious of you then come up to you and either scare you away from just lifting or make you leave the store immediately. âCan I help you find a different size?â âDo you want a matching bra with those?â Etc. sometimes theyâll just be making conversation. It should be easy to differentiate.
>Haul: All of the items you get in a trip.
>Double-Dipping: When someone sends the same question to multiple people. Usually could be a question answered by researching, but is rarely done.
>Free for all: This DOES NOT mean just shove everything into your bag without a care in the world. It means the store is relatively easy. Still be wary of cameras, customers, and other basic cautions.
>Sweethearting: A method where the cashier doesnât ring an item up for their friend or rings up something of a lesser value. Can be as simple as giving a free drink at Starbucks but on such a small scale like that, itâs usually never noticed or punished.
Places you should NOT lift from
11. Goodwill, churches, public libraries, flea markets, farmers markets, festivals where people sell their own items, family owned businesses, people, teachers, fairs, places that will hurt the owner.
Places you should lift from
12. Big corporations (target, Macyâs, etc), amusement parks, kill shelters.
If youâre caught
13. Be honest. Admit. Make up a story about how it was your first time and you thought itâd be fun because your friend gets so much. Cry. But be respectful of them. Apologize like thereâs no tomorrow. Hopefully theyâll go easy on you.
Stores I can give tips on if needed
14a. Mall stores: Francescaâs, Nordstrom, Macyâs, wet seal, forever 21, hot topic, Victoriaâs Secret, pink, Claireâs, icing, PAC sun, American eagle, bath and body works, Windsor, Charlotte Russe
14b. Other: Target, Bed bath and beyond, pier 1 imports, michaels, hobby lobby, Home Depot, Sallyâs, CVS
Basic Lifting Protocol
I. Do NOT get cocky.
II. Do NOT get greedy.
III. Donât leave any evidence behind.
IV. Donât leave the fitting rooms a mess.
V. Donât hurt others economically while lifting (see #11 above)
VI. Donât argue when caught. Be respectful.
VII. Donât be sloppy.
VIII. Always check for tags. Everywhere. Three times.
IX. Do âshopâ confidently. Be intrigued.
X. Always be a bad bitch.
Sorry for this being so long. Idk how to do the under the cut thing and Iâm on mobile anyway. Hope this helped some of you.
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do any of you ever steal something that breaks immediately? itâs like, this isnât what i didnât pay for.
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Masterpost!!
So itâs been requested that there be a huge list of stores and the types of tags they use so here is kind of a first draft. I actually had a lot of this written down already so thereâs also some general advice about each store. Iâve put down what I learned through research or experience so some stores may have less info than others. Remember this can vary depending on where you live and you should always check thoroughly for tags!
This is a guide on types of tags (with pics) and removal for reference:-)
If thereâs a store left off that you want me to add or you have any corrections/additional info please message me so I can add it and this list can be more informative!
Abercrombie and Fitch/Hollister
Super tags that require a hook
Black dome cameras, mostly near register, but the separate rooms make for easy concealment
Aerie/American Eagle
Tags for items over $30-$40
In my experience the dressing rooms arenât well monitored so I conceal there
Aeropostale
No tags
Personally I donât shop here so I donât have much advice about dressing rooms or cameras but as always scope out the store and leave if youâre sketched out!
American Apparel
RFID and pencil tags
Sometimes you can find things untagged. SAs count going into the dressing room but they donât usually hover so you can conceal a few things
Anthropologie
RFID
Bath and Body Works
No tags!
Few cameras (mostly by register) and easy to conceal; SAs will probably greet you but if youâre nice theyâll leave you alone
Barnes and Noble
NEVER try to lift medical textbooks. Paperbacks are hardly tagged, especially books that have been out awhile, but still flip through them. If you are lifting a moleskin journal or something take the plastic off first. The best method is taking a school backpack, picking out a few books, then sitting for awhile, reading/doing work/etc then just sticking your new books in your backpack
Charlotte Russe
I havenât been in awhile so idk the tags but they do monitor dressing rooms. Once I went in an unlocked dressing room and an SA knocked and asked who gave me the room and why I didnât have a card saying my # of items etc. However I donât think they count coming out.
Claireâs
No tags
Lots of mirrors in Claireâs so watch for those when finding a blind spot!
DIckâs Sporting Goods
Tags require a hook I believe; almost everything is tagged in apparel
Someone has to unlock the dressing room but they donât count items
Dillardâs
No tags from what Iâve heard
Forever 21
Dome ink tags; require a magnet
I donât believe they use RFIDs, so if an item is untagged itâs probably good to go; However the dressing rooms are well monitored, so concealing on the floor is probably bestÂ
Francescaâs
No tags!Â
The stores are pretty small so concealing clothes can be a bit difficult, but if they donât count in the dressing room youâre prob good to go. Jewelry is super easy though
Free People
Attentive SAs; they like to start rooms for you. Conceal on the floor and try not to linger
Garage
I believe some things have tags but I know there are things that donât. Not many SAs in my experience so pretty easy to conceal if you find a blind spot. They also monitor dressing rooms pretty well
J Crew
Tag items over $30 and uses RFIDs
H&M
Not sure about tags
Stores are generally big and the SAs stick to the register area so concealing isnât very hard
Hot Topic
Not exactly sure about tags but I donât think they tag everything
Loft
RFID
Large store usually, and I donât remember anyone ever monitoring the dressing rooms very much
Lush
No tags!
Small store and attentive SAs, so getting in out as fast as possible is best
Lululemon
Most things are tagged (I donât remember what kind)Â and SAs count going into dressing rooms. You can conceal things like leggings and shorts pretty easily, but only if you find a good blindspot since there are cams
Madewell
RFID tags
Old Navy
No tags
Generally few cameras and dressing rooms arenât monitored
Pacsun
Ink tags or super tags, RFIDs inside cardboard tags. Iâve also seen gator tags that you can remove with a hair band
Generally inattentive SAs, few cameras (still scope out in advance), donât count going in dressing rooms
Starbucks
No tags
This is one of the easiest stores. After ordering a drink just pick up whatever stuff you want and hold it like you own it. As far as I know employees donât really do much when merchandise goes missing, but make sure no other customers are paying attention
Sephora
Some tags, likely RFIDs on palettes
I donât really mess with Sephora; lots of cams and attentive SAs
Target
Black dome cameras all around the store. They count going into dressing rooms. Finding a blindspot is hard but can be done. Please be extremely careful here they have plainclothes LP that are generally pretty good and they really donât fuck around lol
Urban Outifitters
Black square tags that require a magnet; RFIDs in price tags
Iâve heard they count going in and out of dressing rooms and that they use magnet sensors so be careful. I also believe they have LP but not much info on that
Victoriaâs Secret
Pencil tags that require a magnet, but they sometimes use tags that require hook so be prepared; tag almost all clothes and bras and the occasional panty
Locations vary greatly, but employees canât act on you unless they are sure youâre stealing. Thereâs a lot of advice about VS floating around, and most people conceal in the dressing room, using shopper bags to bring in a lot of underwear
Ulta
RFIDs on palettes
Thereâs usually a blind spot in the hair care section, but always scope out the area well. Pretty attentive SAs but just act like you know what youâre looking for
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if a dressing room counts but theres no cameras, conceal on the floor and de-tag in the dressing room.
i just snagged a ton of stuff from TJmaxx (cant post haul bc im w family sad sad). there were NO cameras on the floor - only over the register which was like. miles. away from he dressing room. so i shoved a sweater, a t-shirt dress and some booties into my bag before nabbing a coat and jeans and detagging the stuff in my bag in the dressing room. thought this could work for some other people!
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new earrings! dangles + cuff :) $0
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