Poll of the Day > Have any of you ever been falsely accused of shoplifting?

(+) Yeah! (+)

obv. i mean accused of it when you really didn't do it, by store personnel etc......

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I went into a Subway to get fountain pop and the dumbass woman asked me while I was filling the cup if I was going to pay for it. So not quite, but close.

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No

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Not that I can remember

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Nope, but when I was like 6 I stole a package of some small kinda fireworks from a gas station and they didn't catch me. Im 1 for 1 on heist success

Once, a couple of people had their wallets stolen at my job, including a supervisor I worked with. A PI came in immediately and reviewed the key fob data. He then proceeded to accuse me for several hours in an attempt to get me to confess. Meanwhile the actual thief has out trying to use their credit/debit cards.

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Yes. I was browsing at a dollar store once years ago. At one point I checked out a disposable camera, and later as I was walking out this older woman yelled out to me, "hey! Where's that camera you were looking at??"

After the initial surprise, I told her I put it back on the shelf, and showed her exactly where it was (it was the last one). I was too taken aback by the whole thing at the time, or else I would have been upset. Like somebody wanna steal a funky ass dollar store camera.

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SunWuKung420 posted...

Once, a couple of people had their wallets stolen at my job, including a supervisor I worked with. A PI came in immediately and reviewed the key fob data. He then proceeded to accuse me for several hours in an attempt to get me to confess. Meanwhile the actual thief has out trying to use their credit/debit cards.

really? but what reason did he have to suspect you?

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JebronLames posted...

really? but what reason did he have to suspect you?

I went into my supervisor's office several times that day, it was a shared office with all the supervisors of the group. The QA department was in the other building. Since I was responsible for document changes and correcting batch record mistakes, I went into the other building several times. This all happened in one day.

Basically because I was a good employee and traveled throughout the facility doing my job, I seemed to be the most likely suspect, except that the suspect had already left the facility while he was wasting time falsely accusing me.

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No

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Yeah. I have.

But I I didn't have what the guy thought I had in my shopping bag, so he left me alone after that.
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I'm black, obviously.

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EvilMegas posted...

I'm black, obviously.

It's still not common state it outright though.

SunWuKung420 posted...

I went into my supervisor's office several times that day, it was a shared office with all the supervisors of the group. The QA department was in the other building. Since I was responsible for document changes and correcting batch record mistakes, I went into the other building several times. This all happened in one day.

Basically because I was a good employee and traveled throughout the facility doing my job, I seemed to be the most likely suspect, except that the suspect had already left the facility while he was wasting time falsely accusing me.

A good detective would consider and investigate all options rather than go all in on one. Like how a good detective would have also made sure the item in question is actually missing before accusing me of theft.

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Yes, a few times. The first time I remember my accuser had grabbed security or some rent-a-cop and the two of them confronted me together. The first time I was falsely accused I was kinda scared, the other times I was mostly just annoyed. Plus I've had shop owners follow me around the whole time I was in their store.

Because of that shit, I haven't gotten involved when I've seen people steal or had a very good idea that they had; well, except for when I was in retail myself and it was part of my responsibilities.

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No.

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Yeah. It was some security officer at a grocery store. He thought I was stealing and I showed him my backpack complete with the stuff and reciept from the other store I had shopped at.

He kept jumping on my case and I told him that I would personally show him my reciept and backpack again before I left to get him off my case. It was kind of annoying.

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people are strange when you're a stranger.

no, but i had some reciept checker at walmart physically try to stop me and take my reciept from my hand because i didn't stop to let him check it.

and some lady at best buy followed me out trying to tell me i had to stop and let her check my reciept
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Krazy_Kirby posted...

no, but i had some reciept checker at walmart physically try to stop me and take my reciept from my hand because i didn't stop to let him check it.

and some lady at best buy followed me out trying to tell me i had to stop and let her check my reciept

oh you don't like letting them check your receipt at stores?

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Don't believe so. I mean when I was 5 I grabbed a VHS of Batman '89 off the shelf to look at it and a woman working at the store said something like "No no no don't don't touch!" and I thought to myself (not in these exact words) "I'm just checking it out you condescending bitch."

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keyblader1985 posted...

A good detective would consider and investigate all options rather than go all in on one. Like how a good detective would have also made sure the item in question is actually missing before accusing me of theft.

He wasn't good. I had been there for 3 years, had just received a promotion and a 13% raise. I was widely considered as the go-to guy to get projects done without neglecting the day to day needed operations. I had zero motive to steal from my friends and colleagues.

After about 45 minutes of him constantly telling me to admit to the crime and me denying it, I just went silent and stared at him with "You are a dumb asshole" eyes until he finally realized I wasn't the criminal.

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A friend said I fucked her when I didn't. Her boyfriend was one of my best friends at the time. I could've fucked her, sure. I had the opportunity. We were hanging out alone that day in her house so it was her word against mine. The two of them broke up over it and dude never really saw either of us the same after.

Yeah some dweeb called into a card store and said he saw me pocket a Pokemon card while looking through the binder. Employee (not owner, this was a local chain with 5 locations) immediately called me out.

I did pocket something...my gameboy I was playing.

never shopped there again

JebronLames posted...

oh you don't like letting them check your receipt at stores?

Tbh we let them but it's a bit obnoxious being treated like a thief when you clearly bought something.

Like I could walk out of there having bought nothing and not be bothered, but the second money is spent they're checking if we're thieves.

Twice. Once was pretty embarrassing. I was 15 and my girlfriend had told me over the phone she was finally ready to have sex so I head off to the local drugstore to pick up some condoms. As my luck would have it, some local kids soccer game had just gotten out and the store was filled with 5 year olds and their parents. Like seriously 30+ kids with their parents. I was already embarrassed as hell to be buying condoms in the first place and I was 15 and didn't want to be given shit for it so when i picked em up off the shelf I was trying to make them not super visible so that the horde of children and parents didn't notice what I had.

The cashier took this to mean I was trying to steal them, came over, and made a huge deal about it so everyone around knew that "i was trying to steal condoms". I of course argued that I wasn't and if I was going to steal something I wouldn't half conceal it, I'd put it all the way in a pocket or some shit and she clearly didn't believe me and told me she would be personally making sure I didn't leave without paying for it.

I wait in line for a while and of course kids are asking their parents "what are condoms?" because of the big scene the cashier lady made and it's a nightmare. When I get to the front of the line and do pay for them she was very smug as if she had foiled my attempted theft and made a big show of scanning it and asking for payment. Total bitch, hope she steps on a lego.

Of course, I was just 15 at the time and embarrassed and stuff. If that happened today I'd demand to speak to a manager and try to get her fired for making such a big scene but what are ya gonna do.

The other time it wasn't exactly theft but I got stopped outside the library I took my GED test in by the cops who claimed I took some weed they had left out in the library in order to catch criminals. I of course denied it because I was literally in the fucking GED test at the time they said it happened and asked why they thought it was me. I matched the description of "white teen". That was literally it. They demanded to search me and I let them and of course they didn't find it. I should have asked for badge numbers and pressed charges since even if that were true it would have been entrapment but I was tired and just didn't wanna deal with any of that.

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JebronLames posted...

oh you don't like letting them check your receipt at stores?

i don't let them at all. i don't shop at places like costco where the membership says you have to. if the receipt is in my hand then that should be enough. especially if im at self check-out in their sight as i buy my stuff
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It's pretty common to replace the barcode on an expensive item with one from something much cheaper, so just paying for something and having a receipt doesn't prove anything without actually looking at it.

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Zangulus posted...

So because you did something that made them rightfully suspicious, youd get them fired because you were embarrassed? Ok, Karen.

The thing wasn't concealed and making a huge scene to intentionally embarrass a customer who did nothing wrong is pretty fucked up. If she had come up and said "hey, you are gonna pay for that right?" then sure, whatever, but making a big scene like she did was very unprofessional.

Zangulus posted...

Pressed charges for what? They had probable cause. It was weak, and you could have refused, but they didnt break any actual laws at that point...

For attempted entrapment. You can't leave out drugs and wait to see who takes them, then arrest the person. That's not a thing cops are allowed to do. Their probable cause was also suspiciously weak and racist. The whole situation doesn't make much sense. If they really left it out to see who takes it, how did they allow me to exit the building and walk down the street? How did they not immediately bust whoever did it? The whole thing feels messed up and people who do that don't belong on the force.

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No, but I have been accurately accused of stealing.

keyblader1985 posted...

It's pretty common to replace the barcode on an expensive item with one from something much cheaper, so just paying for something and having a receipt doesn't prove anything without actually looking at it.

Half the time they don't actually really look at the items with us at least.

They just take the receipt and stand there, do a half glance at the cart, and then stand there again before handing it back.

When they have bothered to rifle it's when be bought something expensive. It's there, on the receipt and usually in clear view.

I'm just saying if I were a stealing man I'd probably get away with it better by not buying anything. No one says anything if you go in and out. More than once even. Go to the bathroom? NBD.

I've kind of forgotten stuff in the car because I'm half braindead sometimes so I know it's possible to make 2-3 trips without anyone saying anything.

Zangulus posted...

That isnt entrapment. No more than bait vehicles are.

Entrapment requires that the police encourage you to commit the crime while giving you the necessary means to do so. Your described scenario, the police arent attempting to get a person to take the bait, theyre simply waiting to see if someone does.

I can understand that, but you were being suspicious. Youre both wrong in my book. Then again, I personally dont understand embarrassment, so it doesnt make much sense to me why youd try to hide the fact you were going to get laid. But thats just me.

Of course it's entrapment. Cops are just allowed to do it because they wouldn't catch people normally.
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keyblader1985 posted...

It's pretty common to replace the barcode on an expensive item with one from something much cheaper, so just paying for something and having a receipt doesn't prove anything without actually looking at it.

well until they make a law saying i have to stop, i'm not going to unless the alarm goes off
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Revelation34 posted...

Of course it's entrapment. Cops are just allowed to do it because they wouldn't catch people normally.

hey look, it's the cop hater who ran away...
did you see that miranda rights don't need to be read until before questioning?
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Corner shop employee accused my wife of planning to steal a drink. I told her to go choose something while I went to the bathroom. I came back to a quite upset wife so yeah, threw what we were gonna buy across the store and told them to fuck off lol. I had bought stuff there since I was a teenager so it pissed me off more than it should have I guess.

Personally I have never been accused unjustly. When I was a kid my parents were getting something signed by a Royal Doultan designer or whatever. I have no idea how but I stole his credit card or something. From the story he seemed pretty good natured about it.

Only thing that is close : I have been asked if I bought a drink at another store while passing through checkout. Which is fair enough.

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I occasionally get asked to show my receipt before leaving a store if that counts.

Otherwise, just once in a pawn shop. I had a comb in my back pocket and the owner accused me of stealing tools. Never went back to that place after.

Krazy_Kirby posted...

hey look, it's the cop hater who ran away...
did you see that miranda rights don't need to be read until before questioning?

Nobody did.
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Krazy_Kirby posted...

well until they make a law saying i have to stop, i'm not going to unless the alarm goes off

There is a law against that.

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Falsely? No.

Not directly accused, but I lost count of the number of times Walmart workers transparently following me around for fear that Ill take, like, a soda or something dumb

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EvilMegas posted...

There is a law against that.

there is no law where i live saying you must let them check your receipt when you exit, and thats in CA, where the laws can't get crazy.

places like costco you have to, but thats only because you agree to it with the membership
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Revelation34 posted...

Nobody did.

posted links there since you couldn't be bothered to do a simple google search
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Once, when I was like 13 or so.

I went on vacation to ocean city maryland when LIVESTRONG bracelets were big, and I found one on the beach somebody had lost so I kept it. Later that night we were on the boardwalk and I was in a store, and I kept playing with it...not realizing the merchant there also sold those bracelets(who didnt) and that he was giving me weird looks. My cousin explained I found it on the beach and was not stealing, and he dropped it. If he had pressed the issue I'd have just handed it over, as it wasn't really mine in the first place.

to be honest, working retail I wouldn't be that upset if I was accused of stealing. Working in retail I know thieves come in all different shapes and sizes from your classical pants hanging down low thug to literally a grandma/grandpa. I would get upset if they were complete assholes to me, or didnt accept it when I show them my reciept as proof I bought the stuff, though.

EvilMegas posted...

There is a law against that.

There is no law saying employees have to check receipts.
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