Do people actually get away with this?

[DrFaroohk]

When I worked at wal-mart a number of years ago they had a big meeting to inform us of a "scam" that was going around, basically it happens like this:

You go into a store. Make it obvious that you're stealing shit. Start shoving CD's and wristwatches into a backpack. Once you know you've attracted attention, you RUN LIKE HELL out the front door.

Security and manager chase after you, accuse you of stealing. They search your backpack.....

Only to discover its empty! It was all sleight-of-hand and you never actually took anything.

Now you can sue the pants off the company for falsely accusing you of stealing.

---

Does that actually work? Seems to me that if you're stealing things, manager has probably cause to search you and accuse you of stealing.

[wagegoth]

It sounds like it would be a pretty lame lawsuit basis, especially if there were video recorded. My opinion is that it would make better sense if it were a version of the Statute of Liberty play: the person obviously stealing/faking stealing gets the attention of the LP and the management, while the real thief is busy in another part of the store.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Sleight of hand or you dump the merchandise someplace else?

Either way, if there's video showing somebody concealing stuff like they're going to steal it, I'd think that would work against the perp, but it depends on what the judge or jury thinks.

[bainsidhe]

I don't think our LP guys are allowed to actually stop or search anyone until they're actually starting to leave. Otherwise it's an unlawful search and responses of "I was gonna pay for that!"

On a side note, we've seen more theft and from all walks of life (college age, teens, business suits, socker moms, trailer trash and grannies). Last weekend someone stole over $2500 worth of product. I guess they'd come in, load up a shopping cart and then bag their groceries/product while walking around the store. The reason they were caught? Multiple trips. Even so, one of them still got away. I reshopped over $200 of raw meat (usually a no no except I did it immediately after we grabbed the cart and before things could warm up even a little). People are just pathetic.

[ArcticChicken]

I don't think our LP guys are allowed to actually stop or search anyone until they're actually starting to leave. Otherwise it's an unlawful search and responses of "I was gonna pay for that!"

Well, yeah, it's technically not theft until they walk out of the store.