shoplifting routine + tips
before i sleep, iām going to type out some things i collected from lift-pros who have deactivated their blogs and adopted into my own routine! iāll just detail my routine and try to give a few tips at the end so that the newer lifters can have some of the wisdom of those who have left us.
whenever i go lifting, i always bring a medium sized purse and a large shopping bag. i gently fold the shopping bag and put it inside of my purse. other than this, iāll bring:
my magnet and hook (i hide them inside of these hidden zippers in my purse) {some lifters use scissors. same goes.}
a wallet with a decent amount of money (if i have it) in case i get caughtĀ
earphones (personal preference, but i find that music calms me and makes me look nonchalant. sometimes i wonāt even listen to anything so that i can appear occupied, but actually be attentively listening around me.)
when i enter my first store, iāll browse around, examining fabric, price tags, comparing clothes to my body in the mirrors. this is useful for concealing. if you conceal an item of clothing in another, mirrors are so good for checking if you can see it. just look as if youāre checking our your appearance.Ā
try to take some items without hangers, so that you can put those items onto hangers when you have extras.Ā
once iāve taken a couple items i want along with some larger items with pockets (jeans, overalls, collared shirts) iāll go to a changing room. if an attendant asks me how many items i have, iāll lie and say 2 less than what i have. if they physically count the items, then iāll probably only steal one item. if no one gives a shit, then still, donāt be too careless about stealing items. thereās still video cameras.Ā
***MAKE SURE not to steal a boldly printed/colored item thatās showing in your pile of clothing or the first item that youāre holding. theyāll probably notice itās gone, or at least thereās a greater risk. ***
in the changing room, iāll probably take my shoes off so i donāt look suspicious from underneath the curtain. and if the curtain doesnāt fully close, i ALWAYS hold it closed with my body as i detag. a lady once walked in on me as i was detagging and i nearly had a heart attack, thankfully she didnāt see anything.Ā
after i take the tags off of the items i want, iāll put the tags into or onto the clothes i donāt want. DOUBLE CHECK FOR TAGS PLEASE!!!! THEREāS CHANCES OF EXTRA HARD AND SOFT TAGS. iāll put the clothes i detagged in my purse. if i donāt have space, i might wear the item of clothing if itās small and unnoticeable.Ā when i exit the changing room, iāll most likely leave one item that has been untouched on the rack outside of the changing room.Ā
PLEASE MAKE SURE NOT TO LEAVE THE ITEM WITH THE EXTRA TAGS ON OR IN IT ON THE RACK OR WITH THE ATTENDANT the attendant will be touching these items the soonest and itās pretty sketchy when a tag falls out of a pocket or if thereās an extra on there.Ā
i usually take the items with the tags and bring them back out to the store, if iām not lazy iāll put it back where it came from. i always try to put it in the middle of the rack.
then i exit the store, trying to look calm.Ā
so you probably noticed i havenāt mentioned the shopping bags yet. this isnāt what everyone does, but i always head to the bathroom and put the clothes i stole into the bag. it works for me because i canāt necessarily pull off walking into my mall with a bag in hand, but if you want to start off with the bag, just put something thin and dark inside the bag to put on top of the clothes you stole. just in case.Ā
then i hit up other stores! except at these other stores, i can put the clothes i take into the shopping bag.
1. always double check for tags on the clothing. this is a given, but really, you have to check for any kind of tag. you might have gotten the hard tag off, but there could still be a soft tag somewhere, or some other lifter couldāve left a tag somewhere. hold up the price tags and clothing tags up to the light and look for chips and shit.
2. HIDE your tools. please. hide them. if the LP sees your tools, youāll get punished so much harder because you were shoplifting with the intent.
3. DONāT RUN!!! donāt run. if you run, well, it depends on store policy. but if you run, they might tackle you or call the police or some shit.
4. if you donāt have a good feeling about a place, drop the shit and get out. seriously. get out. leave the mall if you have to. give it a little time before you return. just donāt risk it. no item is worth a record, especially since weāre all young with our futures ahead of us.
5. find somewhere to put your tags. donāt be careless. iāve seen people just leave the tags in the changing room, itās not necessarily traceable but it draws attention to the fact that shoplifting is prevalent in the store. what iāve found is putting them inside of purses, pockets is effective. and of course, retagging clothing as well. i usually tag the inner tag on the seam of the clothing.Ā
6. always be nice to the SA. if they talk to you, theyāre just doing their job and being polite. but if theyāre following you around a little too closely, theyāre probably suspicious of you.Ā
7. dress appropriately for the store. this is also a given, but donāt wear shit like black hoodies and sweatpants, cause you probably look like a lifter who wants to wear clothing out of the store. also, i recommend changing your appearance up a little.
8. donātttt please donāt go to one store too much and never buy anything. give it some time. if an store attendant asks, i like to say that iām just trying on things and iām going to tell my mom what i want so we can come back. also, donāt always go at like 4:00 on a tuesday. change it up, so you catch different employees at different shifts.Ā
9. donāt grab a shitton of stuff and then steal a large portion of it. for me itās usually: stealing one item for every four pieces i grab, two if the SAās arenāt nearby or paying attention, or if i concealed really well. Ā
10. you donāt NEED to buy a small thing to alleviate suspicion. i understand the logic, but honestly iād just get out of the store. donāt stay longer than you need to.Ā
11. when youāre leaving, donāt rush out. walk sloow and calm like any normal shopper would. i get it. you wanna get out ASAP. but you also donāt want to be sus. fake a phone call if you must. or look at your phone. just be natural.Ā
12. DONāT BE AFRAID TO WASTE A DAY ON SCOUTING. lifting at a new store is very exciting but sometimes they might have something youāre not familiar with, like at zara, they will scan every single clothing item and make sure thereās a tag when youāre entering and leaving the changing room. when you scout, figure out the layout, security cameras, SA procedures
13. THIS IS REALLY USEFUL FOR ME idk if itās useful for you but some of the stores i go to have a level for menās wear and a level for women. often times, the changing rooms on the menās level will have fewer people and fewer SAās. if you feel like the SAās on the womenās level are hardasses about the clothes in your arm, check out the menās level.Ā
14. DONāT TAKE WHAT YOU DONāT NEED. donāt be greedy. this is just me, but i take only things i will actually wear. some people boost, so thatās different, but donāt be greedy. stores will probably notice a larger loss in inventory way sooner. pleaseee donāt be greedy. sometimes shoplifting is so easy you think you can get away with anything, but itās still illegal at the end of the day. only take things you really want. i always look at store websites before hitting up stores so i have an idea of what i want and i have my limits. be smart about it. thereās a ton of big, flashy hauls on tumblr, but you donāt need to compete with others. go at your own speed.Ā
15. donāt ever underestimate the fact that shoplifting is still a crime. even if youāre a teenager, youāll be punished. donāt forget that. you can still stick it to the man, just, be careful.Ā
other methods besides dressing room concealing:
so thereās a lot of other methods out there, especially just on the floor concealing where you put things in your bag or your sleeve. personally, it doesnāt work for me, so iām sorry i didnāt cover it. iām afraid of blind spots not actually being blind spots and iām also afraid of tags. if thereās jewelry i want or something non-clothing, iāll hide it under the clothes in my arm. this is only if the SA will not take these things from me and count them. so you need prior knowledge. anyways, a lot of jewelry iāve seen have tags as well so be careful. iāve taken shoes, bikinis, jewelry, socks and underwear this way ahaha iād say itās effective but you need to know your store.Ā
