Shoplifting is the scourge of British retail. According to the Center for Retail Research, the UK is top of the industry rankings for the proportion of losses due to theft. According to this organization, every year retail chains and individual entrepreneurs lose goods worth 1.5 billion pounds. Of course, buyers pay for these criminal acts. Each British household is overpaying for goods by around £150 a year due to theft.
To denote this type of crime, the English word “shoplifting” managed to enter the Russian language, and people who practice this criminal activity are called “shoplifters.” A typical shoplifter is an amateur. For such a person, petty theft is a kind of extreme entertainment. However, it is not new: in one of P. G. Wodehouse’s novels about the young aristocrat Bertie Wooster, a club was described, in order to join which you had to steal something.
A new study recently conducted by psychologists at the University of Leicester has identified behavioral characteristics that are most likely to indicate a shoplifter. Dr. Vincent Egan anonymously surveyed 114 ordinary people aged 16 to 80 with a variety of questions about their attitudes toward petty shoplifting and their personal experiences with the crime. 68 respondents had never stolen, 30 last did it more than a year ago, 16 admitted to shoplifting within the last year.
According to Egan, the average British shoplifter is an unpleasant, antisocial man. This is a disorganized and undisciplined person. Young extroverts are more prone to shoplifting. All those who admitted to petty thefts recently were significantly younger than the others, and all of them were men. (As we can see, Bertie Wooster himself would be at the very center of the risk group). People with low intelligence and low emotional stability are more likely to consider petty theft to be an acceptable act.
How exactly do shoplifters operate? Some of their methods are described in the English-language Wikipedia. Let's give an excerpt from there.
The staff will almost never apply any sanctions to the violator.
In another case, a shoplifter puts a chocolate bar in an accomplice's pocket, while taking out his wallet. From the outside it looks like a "phantom wallet" method, which is supposed to create the feeling of a full pocket - this method is, in fact, often used by pickpockets, and many CCTV operators are aware of it. However, it is precisely this knowledge that is used by the shoplifter. And the accomplice, as usual, has no claims against the thief.
Those shoplifters who work alone may practice a similar method - placing goods in the pocket of an unknown customer. They then approach him outside the store and quietly remove the stolen item.
It is worth noting that one of the types of shoplifting is theft with the aim of returning a purchased product to the store and getting money “back”. According to the laws of many countries, including the United States and Great Britain, if the buyer discovers a defect, the money for the goods must be returned, even if the client did not keep the receipt. An attacker steals goods from a store in any of the following ways; then damages the goods - makes a hole in the fabric, breaks one of the links on the chain, cuts the sole of the shoe, etc. The product is returned to the store and the thief receives money for it.
Amateur shoplifting is a truly serious problem in society. We can talk about the emergence of a subculture of shoplifters, separate from the professional thieves, “thieves” world. In the Cyrillic segment of LiveJournal there is even a specialized community in which users brag to each other about their successes in petty theft and share their experiences.
Here is a typical quote from there: “I went into the department with shoes - and it’s just paradise there. There are no plastic rounds on half the shoes. I took sandals and boots, tore off all the stickers on them for the fireman, put the shoes in a bag - and went out. And at the exit it rang. True, there were no guards there and the alarm was quiet, so I calmly left ." Or this: “ Has anyone tried taking things out of the store using foil? I want to cover a shoe box with several layers of foil and visit Bershka .”
How to deal with shoplifting? Formulate service instructions for each suspicious case. Conduct exercises with decoys. Train staff during debriefing. Registration of the subculture on relevant forums and thematic sites gave you the opportunity to engage in reconnaissance. An employee of the marketing department of a company that produces technical protection equipment will also find a lot of useful information there. It is unlikely, of course, that you will be pleased to read this - but what can you do, the craft of an intelligence officer is unthinkable without moral discomfort.
(c) Ilya Zabolotnov
mr-pw.livejournal.com
To denote this type of crime, the English word “shoplifting” managed to enter the Russian language, and people who practice this criminal activity are called “shoplifters.” A typical shoplifter is an amateur. For such a person, petty theft is a kind of extreme entertainment. However, it is not new: in one of P. G. Wodehouse’s novels about the young aristocrat Bertie Wooster, a club was described, in order to join which you had to steal something.
A new study recently conducted by psychologists at the University of Leicester has identified behavioral characteristics that are most likely to indicate a shoplifter. Dr. Vincent Egan anonymously surveyed 114 ordinary people aged 16 to 80 with a variety of questions about their attitudes toward petty shoplifting and their personal experiences with the crime. 68 respondents had never stolen, 30 last did it more than a year ago, 16 admitted to shoplifting within the last year.
According to Egan, the average British shoplifter is an unpleasant, antisocial man. This is a disorganized and undisciplined person. Young extroverts are more prone to shoplifting. All those who admitted to petty thefts recently were significantly younger than the others, and all of them were men. (As we can see, Bertie Wooster himself would be at the very center of the risk group). People with low intelligence and low emotional stability are more likely to consider petty theft to be an acceptable act.
How exactly do shoplifters operate? Some of their methods are described in the English-language Wikipedia. Let's give an excerpt from there.
Buried Treasure
The equipment is usually used in large building materials stores. An expensive tool (often diamond blades for a circular saw) that does not have acoustomagnetic or RFID tags is placed on the bottom of the cart. Then bags with some heavy contents - for example, cement - are placed on top. The cashier, most likely, will not lay out and scan all the bags - he will count one tag and multiply the price by the number of packages. Often the attacker returns the paid goods to the store and gets money back for them.Copper finger
The shoplifter can wrap a piece of copper foil around one of his fingers. If he presses this finger against the RFID tag while passing through the monitoring device, its signal will be distorted and the alarm will not be triggered. In the United States, the presence of foil on a finger will be grounds for a charge that a person was “equipped to steal.”Peeling off tags
One of the most obvious ways. The attacker takes a product from the shelf and examines it carefully. Pretending that he is choosing and comparing, the shoplifter walks from shelf to shelf with goods in his hands. When there are no personnel around, he finds a place not covered by CCTV cameras and removes the tag. She returns to her place, and the desired item is placed in her pocket. Of course, leaving the store does not trigger the alarm.Demagnetization in the store
A product with an acoustomagnetic tag (usually a CD or DVD) can be demagnetized in a store by an intruder, and the tag will not “ring” when passing through the acoustomagnetic gate. To demagnetize the tag, the shoplifter applies a very small but powerful permanent neodymium magnet to it. To demagnetize, hold it for about a minute. This method works with cheap CDs and DVDs; expensive Blu-ray discs may have hidden security marks.Distraction
A group of two or more intruders enter the store and try to distract the attention of as many employees as possible - sellers and security guards. False buyers behave persistently and completely occupy the staff with all the time necessary to steal. At this time, the accomplice at the merchandise display will wait for a safe time to steal.False alarm trick
A thief places a security tag on a law-abiding customer's bag and waits for him to leave the store. After the alarm is triggered, when the security's attention is focused on the imaginary thief, the shoplifter can calmly leave the store.Distractive shopping
In the eyes of many sellers, the buyer who paid for the goods is a priori honest. Especially if the buyer informs the seller of his intention to buy more later, successfully playing the role of a loyal consumer. Even if caught, the excuse “I just forgot to pay for it” will most likely avoid a conflict situation.A half
The attacker enters the store, takes two small, lightweight items like underwear from the shelf, then opens the bag as if to take money out of it to pay. At the same time, he quietly drops one copy of the product into it; then, after a pause, he puts the second item back on the shelf, feigning a change in purchase decision."Here in the States!.."
A universal way to avoid trouble is to pose as a newcomer who is not familiar with local rules. For example, you can pick up some sweets in the cinema lobby and take them into the theater without paying. If a shoplifter gets caught (and this is the case in Britain), he can imitate an American accent and exclaim: “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand! What an awkward situation - here in the States, candy is included in the ticket price!”The staff will almost never apply any sanctions to the violator.
Decoration in your pocket
One variation of the One-Second technique is to hide a small item or jewelry in the pocket of the clothing you are purchasing. In this case, the shoplifter either pays for one thing or puts the stolen item into his bag or pocket, going into the fitting room where there are no CCTV cameras.The Disappearing Sushi Dish
In many Western sushi bars, the calculation is based on the number of used plates on the table. The waiter writes out the bill by counting the empty dishes, and if one plate is hidden in a bag or sat on it, then it may not be possible to pay for it.Newspaper
A shoplifter goes into a small bakery with a newspaper, puts a sandwich in the newspaper and leaves without hindrance. Most small bakeries do not have CCTV systems , and shopkeepers there do not expect theft. However, a visitor with a newspaper entering a CD store will immediately arouse suspicion - experienced shoplifters do not use this trick in such places.Imaginary refusal of shoplifting
A risky and provocative technique. The attacker places several items of goods (for example, chocolate bars) in his pocket, deliberately doing this in the field of view of a video surveillance camera . The thief knows that the operator is now closely monitoring his actions. He walks around the store for a while, then returns to the shelf and returns the item from his pocket to its place. But he still leaves one chocolate bar in his pocket.Imitation of a thief - pickpocket
Two accomplices enter the store. The first one takes, for example, two chocolate bars from the shelf. Holding the chocolate in his hand, he pretends to take something out of his accomplice's pocket, but in fact throws one chocolate bar into it. When trying to leave, the accomplice says that he does not know what happened, has no complaints, or that the imaginary “pickpocket” is his friend.In another case, a shoplifter puts a chocolate bar in an accomplice's pocket, while taking out his wallet. From the outside it looks like a "phantom wallet" method, which is supposed to create the feeling of a full pocket - this method is, in fact, often used by pickpockets, and many CCTV operators are aware of it. However, it is precisely this knowledge that is used by the shoplifter. And the accomplice, as usual, has no claims against the thief.
Those shoplifters who work alone may practice a similar method - placing goods in the pocket of an unknown customer. They then approach him outside the store and quietly remove the stolen item.
Theft of serial numbers and software keys
Many people download games or software packages from the Internet, but are unable to fully use them due to lack of license keys. In most cases, the serial number is included inside the CD package. An attacker could print out the packaging of a CD or DVD in a store and copy or photograph the key. If such a shoplifter is caught, he can be charged with damaging the packaging of goods.It is worth noting that one of the types of shoplifting is theft with the aim of returning a purchased product to the store and getting money “back”. According to the laws of many countries, including the United States and Great Britain, if the buyer discovers a defect, the money for the goods must be returned, even if the client did not keep the receipt. An attacker steals goods from a store in any of the following ways; then damages the goods - makes a hole in the fabric, breaks one of the links on the chain, cuts the sole of the shoe, etc. The product is returned to the store and the thief receives money for it.
Amateur shoplifting is a truly serious problem in society. We can talk about the emergence of a subculture of shoplifters, separate from the professional thieves, “thieves” world. In the Cyrillic segment of LiveJournal there is even a specialized community in which users brag to each other about their successes in petty theft and share their experiences.
Here is a typical quote from there: “I went into the department with shoes - and it’s just paradise there. There are no plastic rounds on half the shoes. I took sandals and boots, tore off all the stickers on them for the fireman, put the shoes in a bag - and went out. And at the exit it rang. True, there were no guards there and the alarm was quiet, so I calmly left ." Or this: “ Has anyone tried taking things out of the store using foil? I want to cover a shoe box with several layers of foil and visit Bershka .”
How to deal with shoplifting? Formulate service instructions for each suspicious case. Conduct exercises with decoys. Train staff during debriefing. Registration of the subculture on relevant forums and thematic sites gave you the opportunity to engage in reconnaissance. An employee of the marketing department of a company that produces technical protection equipment will also find a lot of useful information there. It is unlikely, of course, that you will be pleased to read this - but what can you do, the craft of an intelligence officer is unthinkable without moral discomfort.
(c) Ilya Zabolotnov
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