A Walmart shopper made headlines when she recorded herself shoplifting at the self-checkout. Instead of hiding what she did, she decided to share the video on TikTok, and it quickly went viral, gaining over 2.2 million views.
The woman, who goes by the name Nesha on TikTok, joked about how she usually doesn't get caught stealing. However, she now faces a two-year ban from all Walmart stores in her area.
TikTok Video of Shoplifting at Walmart Goes Viral
In the video, Nesha can be seen using the self-checkout machine, where customers can scan and pay for their items themselves. While she pretended to scan a backpack, she actually did not register it at all.
Instead, she just put the backpack into her shopping bag without paying for it. Suddenly, a message popped up on the screen, telling her that a store employee was on the way. This meant she couldn't scan any more items or finish checking out.
When the employee arrived, she scanned Nesha's card and saw a warning on the screen that said, "Missed Scan Detected." This warning meant that the store had noticed that Nesha had not scanned some of the items in her bag, according to MailOnline.
The employee then looked at the security footage, which showed Nesha dragging the backpack across the scanner without actually checking it out.
As the employee approached, Nesha turned the camera to show her, and the employee couldn't help but laugh at how bold the situation was. But even though the employee found it funny, she had to take action. She called the manager and the police, and made sure Nesha was removed from the store.
This incident sheds light on a big problem that many stores face today: shoplifting. A recent survey conducted by LendingTree found that around 15% of shoppers admitted to stealing things at self-checkouts, but surprisingly, only about one-third of those who stole said they ever got caught.
Walmart, which loses about $3 billion every year because of theft, has taken serious steps to stop it, as reported by Gitnux.
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Walmart Implements Advanced Technology to Combat Shoplifting
To help reduce shoplifting, Walmart has started using advanced technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). This technology helps them spot when someone is trying to steal.
Since 2017, Walmart has used AI-powered cameras that can detect when someone misses scanning an item, according to Business Insider. In addition to this, Walmart is now using special barcodes on their store-branded items.
These barcodes are almost invisible, allowing customers to just glide an item over the scanner without having to scan each barcode one by one.
Even with all these new measures, some Walmart stores still face high rates of theft. In some locations, the company has even decided to remove self-checkout lanes entirely.
A spokesperson for Walmart explained that they do not publicly share their security plans, which is likely to keep thieves from finding ways to avoid getting caught.
Nesha's video received mixed reactions from people online. Many viewers were shocked by her actions and expressed that they couldn't understand why someone would steal.
Some were frustrated about the loss of self-checkout options in stores because of people who steal. However, some comments showed that others seemed to support her behavior and shared their own tricks for stealing.
