These are all of my l1fting/b0rr0wing tips. I’m making this for me to come back to, and for some friends.
GENERAL TIPS:
- IF YOU SEE A ‘SHOPL1FTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED SIGN’, OTHER TYPES OF SECURITY IN THE STORE WILL BE LESS STRICT. For the same reason that stores try to get you to dump instead of arresting you or calling the cops, it’s way cheaper and easier for them to focus on preventative measures instead of proactive ones. Signs like these aren’t usually present in higher end stores, because 1. It gives the real customers a bad impression, and 2. Those stores can afford actual LP and monitored cameras.
- IF YOU SEE SOMEONE ELSE CONCEAL, GET OUT. I’ve seen so many LP staff talk about using this tactic to ease suspects into stealing and getting caught. Just finish checking out (if you’re buying) or walk out.
- IF YOU LIFT IN FRONT OF OTHERS, MAKE SURE THEY WONT SNITCH. Just point out someone else, go ‘i think they just put something in their bag’ and see what they say. If they want to snitch on a random stranger who didn’t even steal, they’ll snitch on you too.
- WEAR A SKIRT. Obviously men can’t do this because LP are weirdos, but wearing a skirt gives you the opportunity to hold things between your legs and just walk out of the store. No bags required.
- DO NOT LIFT ON MAJOR HOLIDAYS. A crowded store may be nice for taking attention away from you, but stores will bring in more LP on the days leading up to Christmas/Easter/Valentine’s day because these are high shrink times. If you really want to l1ft in a busy store, go on weekends or the afternoon.
- CONCEAL L1FT1NG TOOLS ON YOUR PERSON. If you use a hook or magnets, conceal them on your body so if your bags are searched the police don’t have proof of intent.
- DON’T RUN IF THEY CATCH YOU. Unless the items you took are over 100-300 dollars and you concealed in a dressing room/left behind no proof/know that they don’t have any evidence to stop you, running will increase your sentence if they snap a picture of your licence plate and call the police. Most LP just want the merchandise back and will let you off with a trespass warning.
- GET OVER DISGUST ABOUT HIDING THINGS IN YOUR BRA. Seriously, any l1fter who has boobs should be using their bra to conceal. Wear a loose shirt and if anyone calls you out for lumps, just tear up a little and say that’s just how you’re shaped. I’ve done this and it embarrasses people so much they usually just walk away.
- DO NOT IMMEDIATELY CONCEAL. For LP to stop you going out the door, they need to 1. See you take the item, 2. See you conceal, 3. See you walk past all points of sale. Waiting to conceal can give you a bumper for security to move onto other targets if they’re watching you.
- STOP DOING HUGE HAULS!!! Taking over $300 in a single haul from a single store will put LP on the lookout and make it more likely for someone else to be caught. For nonessentials just try to be conservative in what you borrow.
- NEVER LOOK AROUND BEFORE YOU CONCEAL. This makes LP watch you, and they can use this as proof of intent. Basically this completely destroys the defence of “I didn’t realize i put it in my bag” if you get caught, and can increase your sentence if police get called.
- DON’T SH0PL1FT IMMEDIATELY. If LP is watching you, they will likely continue to until a reasonable amount of time has passed or if someone more suspicious enters the store.
- HAVE A FRIEND ACT SUSPICIOUS. This only works if you go in separately, you enter first and your friend enters secondly. Have them wear baggy clothes, constantly look around, not make eye contact with staff, pick up high value items, etc. this draws LP (and likely staffed cameras) away from you.
- GO WITH SOMEONE ELSE. (preferably 1-2 others) this works best if you’re white and over the age of 20.
- DO NOT GO WITH SOMEONE ELSE. Teens are known for shoplifting in groups. If you’re not white, being in groups WILL make LP target you because of the appearance of an OCR (most of them are pos racists).
- BE NICE TO THE EMPLOYEES! Just be nice guys. They’re not paid well enough to risk their legs, and if you’re nice they’re less likely to keep you in the store for LP.
- SOMEONE IS ALWAYS WATCHING YOU. Target with cameras hidden in their shelves, LP, employees, snitches, someone is always watching your every move. Just assume that everyone will see you and it will make you careful, and reconsider risky items.
- DON’T LOITER! A lot of stores are rolling out ‘AI’ theft prevention, and the system will flag you if you stay in one spot for too long. (or even reach for a bag.)
- PUT TAGS ONTO THE OTHER ITEMS YOU TOOK TO THE CHANGING ROOM. Store employees double tag items all the time, and it’s way less suspicious than a tag taped to the underside of the changing room chair.
- TAKE THE HANGERS WITH YOU. Taking them off and leaving them in the changing rooms is a dead giveaway that you’ve taken something, and it’s far easier for store attendants to pin it on you.
- THEY’RE BUILDING A CASE ON YOU. Big box stores DO NOT PLAY. Just assume that they’re trying to get you on a felony charge and waiting until you’ve stolen enough.
- HAVE A PURSE WITH A GOOD LINING? Cut a small hole in the side, tuck small items/tags into it, and if you set off the alarms security won’t know why because everything’s hidden between the lining and shell of the purse.
- SCOUT OUT THE STORE BEFOREHAND. This obviously won’t work if you’re going out of town to l1ft, but it can help in so many ways. Not having to look up at cameras is so so so handy.
- DON’T IMMEDIATELY PUT THINGS INTO YOUR BAG. Just don’t do this, it alerts LP and the loss prevention AI shit.
- LOOK FOR TOWERS. These are the things that beep, and they can be hidden very well (underneath carpets, on the doorframe, etc)
- IF THE TOWERS BEEP, KEEP WALKING. Just pretend you didn’t hear anything, and if store LP are watching you, it gives you a little bit of time to walk away as most stores won’t chase. Innocent people beep all the time too, for phones and forgotten tags and whatever.
Slight of hand/Blind Spots:
- SCARVES! I love scarves. Scarves scarves scarves. Since I live in a colder place it’s all cool to ‘adjust’ the scarf and tuck items into it.
- GLOVES/TIGHT SLEEVES. I’m talking about the ones with holes cut out for your thumbs, that cover half of your palm. Super easy to tuck small things in while you’re messing around with the displays.
- CONCEAL IN A DRINK CUP! If you’re going to a mall, buy a drink from a chain fast food place that has a store in the mall. Drink it, wash it out, and cut an X shape into the bottom of the cup. This lets you tuck small things like makeup and jewelry into the cup without opening the lid, ever.
- BLIND SPOTS ARE ONLY BLIND FOR A BIT. Keep moving. Assume LP are watching you.
- IF YOU NEED A BLIND SPOT KNOCK SOMETHING OFF THE SHELVES. When you bend down to pick it up, use the space between your body and the floor as a blind spot.
- BLIND SPOTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN AISLES WITH LOW SHRINK. Things that aren’t stolen often, yarn/utensils/cheap shit that’s bulky. Avoid concealing in aisles with high shrink rates, makeup/batteries/razors/electronics.
- SPECIFIC AISLES ARE LOW RISK. What I mean by this is that aisles like greeting cards, chips, yarn, etc like the ones listed above, are unlikely to have cameras. If you haven’t had a chance to scope out the store/you’re travelling, try to conceal in these aisles.
Clothes:
- NO BAGGY CLOTHES OR HUGE BAGS. it’s suspicious. Bring a purse if you have to, preferable use shopping bags from other stores, and wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Tighter clothing is less suspicious.
- NAME BRANDS. Name brands make you look like someone who has money or wants to look like they have money. LP, and the average snitch, are less suspicious.
- DO NOT CARRY YOUR COAT OVER YOUR ARM UNLESS YOU HAVE TO. LP are aware of this tactic and will watch you for it.
- AVOID BAGS. If you’re going out to get makeup/small items that you can body conceal, don’t bring a purse. LP and store clerks are told to watch anyone carrying their own bags, so if you can body conceal ditch the bag.
- WEAR LOOSE PANTS/FLOOR LENGTH SKIRT AND LONG SOCKS. Long, tight, stretchy socks. It’s so easy to squat down, tie the shoelace that you untied before you entered the store, and tuck the merchandise into the socks. Or just pretend to look at the shelves closer to the floor. Walk out with the merchandise safely secured and hidden. I’ve done this with things as big as cds, just use a good pair of socks.
- WEAR LOOSE SLEEVES AND ARM WARMERS. Same premise as above, but remember to only use this one or the other, never both at once unless it’s very weather appropriate (cold if you’re using sweatshirt/pants, warm if you’re wearing linen/flowy fabric).
- LEARN TO SOW! You don’t need neat stitches or even a machine, but knowing how to sow lets you repair instead of throwing away (and hidden pockets, magic bags, and so many other handmade l1fting equipment is available)
- HIDDEN POCKETS. There’s many different ways to do this, but the main idea stays the same. Put some in your clothes, in your bags, in literally everything.
Someone recently asked me how I get my hauls from Sephora since they’re pretty big in size so I’ve decided to post my updated how-to!
PREP:
Before I go into the mall I make sure I have a jacket, different store bag from another store in the mall with a shirt or something in it to look less sus, and look semi nice.
INSIDE:
Walk into the mall with your other store bag and your purse on your arm. Just hold your jacket. I walk into Sephora and am usually greeted by an employee. Smile and say “I’m just looking today, thanks” if asked if they can help you. You belong here! You know what you’re doing! Grab a store bag to put what you want in it. I just casually look around with my phone out scrolling through the Sephora app with my list of what I want on it. Don’t spastically move around to a million different aisles. Organize yourself and try not to have to go to the same aisle for more than a couple times. This will cut your time and look like you’re just looking at stuff and wasting time. Also, make sure to check for tags on your products when you first pick them up! If they have a tag, take it off and put it on another product you aren’t taking. When you pick the products you first want up, make sure to look legit interested! Check the price, read the product info, etc.
After I find the products I want and have them in the Sephora bag I find my blind spot. I know where the blind spots are in the Sephora’s I go to, so just find yours or make your own. Watch out for employees and customers! Casually slip the product from the Sephora bag into your other store bag. Do not look around quickly and throw products into the bag. This is the definition of sus and you will get caught. I usually slip more than one product into the bag at a time, like a couple palettes at once or a few lip products at once. Make sure it’s quiet and doesn’t bang around, is not sus, etc. When I’m done I throw my jacket into the bag on top of the products and pretend to answer my phone. I talk like I’m talking to my mom or something. Blah blah, I’m in Sephora, I’m leaving now, blah blah. Put your Sephora bag back with the others and carry on the conversation out the door. If you beep don’t turn around, just go! You’re too busy talking on the phone to notice that the beeper accidentally went off anyway right? Sephora is usually the last store I go to in the mall since I lift so much there so once I’m out of the store I head to the car and gtfo.
AFTER:
Leave the store/mall and get to the car. I don’t open anything or mess with anything until I’m away from the mall. If I want a piece of gum from my purse I will get that piece of gum when I’m on the road. I am not going to waste any time on that mall property. Also, I usually won’t come back to that mall/store for another couple months so that’s a plus.
And that’s pretty much it! :) I included everything I could think of at the moment so I hope this is helpful! If you have any questions, just message me and I’m happy to help. Good luck and stay safe ❤️
Blind Spot
A blind-spot is a section of the store where you are barely visible by any cameras or employees and can thus feel free to both collect and dump stuff, without fear of being seen. Make sure your blind-spot is not under surveillance. Never do anything where someone else may see you, even a customer. You can make your own spot inside a shopping cart with large packages to conceal your movements or use display units to your advantage. Also a friends body can be used to block viewing. You will always want to act quickly once you have entered your blind spot and never grab an item and walk straight to your area. Shop your way into it like you need something from there and then shop your way out like you did nothing wrong. Never hang around your blind-spot for too long and don’t keep using the same spot, especially if you are leaving opened packages. Most of all, be careful to never lead Loss Prevention to your blind-spot and remember that Loss Prevention will know their store better then you and will already know where all the blind spots are.
Dressing Room
After selecting cloths you head to the Dressing Room to try them on. While your in there you decide that instead of purchasing them, you’re going to shoplift them. This can be easily done in the privacy of this little room as long as you know what your doing. The inside of dressing rooms will normally not be monitored by Loss Prevention. If they do they have to have a sign saying that “Dressing Rooms are monitored” for it to be legal. Also most dressing rooms are not 100% private. A lot of times the door or curtain stops about 2 feet from the floor giving Loss Prevention an opportunity to observe some of your actions, especially with a small shoe mirror. Regardless of all of this, you’re going for it and there are several ways you could go about concealing your items.
First thing you do is to remove any security tags on the cloths. Removing tags is discussed in the ‘Tools of the Trade’. The most common way to obtain your new cloths would be to place them into another stores bag that you walked in with. Second would be to wear the new cloths under what your already wearing or fold them up and tape them to your body. You could also just exchange the old cloths you are wearing for new ones. Remember to never leave any tags or hangers behind. Otherwise you will be alerting the staff that you took something. Some store will now count the clothing going in and out of the dressing room. To get around this just bring in some older or cheaper cloths in another stores bag, exchange them and place all the tags / stickers on them.
Body Stuffing
This is a common technique used by women. With a dress on they will take an expensive item such as a bluray and hold it between their thighs and walk out. Also you could have a inflatable ball so that you appear pregnant. Gather cloths and go into a dressing room, deflate the ball and place the cloths in its place, so that you still appear pregnant. Men could taking some small expensive items and place them in the small of your back. Wearing a tight shirt tucked in with a baggier outer shirt would help conceal any item. Cloths can be wrapped and taped around your torso and your legs while wearing bagger cloths. Remember you have to be able to walk out the door without arousing suspicion.
The Drink Cup Concealment
A large drink is purchased and then brought into the store. You then proceed to drop small heavy items like jewelry into the drink cup. On leaving the store the drink cup is unlikely to be searched. You must be wary of drinking too much or the items will be revealed in the bottom of the cup.
Sleight of hand
This is a technique used to manipulate items by secretly palming them and hiding the items out of sight while diverting the sales associates attention somewhere else. This is easily done with jewelry and an inattentive sales person. While looking at multiple jewelry you have the sales person distracted while an expensive item is slipped into a pocket. Though it is easy to distract the human eye, the camera is a little harder to fool, so you must keep this in mind when using this tactic.
The Drop Bag
This Simple technique is use when a person brings a bag from another store in with them. As they shop around the store they will pick up two of the same items and inconspicuously drop one of the items into the open bag while looking the other item over. They then put the one item back as if they didn’t want it and make another selection.
Magic Bags
A person will bring a foil lined bag that they made out of approximately 10 layers of heavy aluminum-foil, into a store. This is to help shield the security tags that are on merchandise from the alarm towers at the exit of a store. Choose small expensive items and place them into your Magic bag. The tags must be completely shielded for this to work. Seal the bag so that it cannot be penetrated by radio frequency. If there is a “leak” (i.e. If the signal from the tower reach the tag through a opening in the bag) the towers will be activated. You can test it by inserting a cell-phone in to the bag and calling the number. If the phone rings that means the layers are too thin, or there is a hole that is allowing the radio waves in. This bag will only work with the RF (radio frequency) tags. In order for it to work with AM (acousto-magnetic) tags you will need to increase the amount of foil to 30 layers of heavy aluminum-foil. A side note - you may use copper or tin plates instead of the foil to make a magic bag. The only issue with this would be weight. Read ‘Anti-Shoplifting Devices’ to better understand the difference between the RF and AM security tags.
Magic Box
Like the Magic Bag a shoebox is lined with the appropriate layers of aluminum-foil and inserted into a bag of a local store. The box is placed so the opening is facing up, thus when you are in a concealed area you can discreetly drop items into your box. When you are ready to leave, just close the box with the lid (which was never removed from the bag) and walk out.
Magic Pocket
You can line a hidden pocket inside of a jacket with aluminum-foil to create a Magic Bag. You would typically cut the bottom out of an inside pocket and then insert a envelope that has been wrapped in foil. You would then place small items into it and seal the flap so that the radio waves won’t penetrate the envelope.
Bag Switching
Bag switching is attempted by two people who come into the store separately The first person will gather a large amount of merchandise that they want to remove from the store and place it into a large bag. They will then inconspicuously switch their bag with the second person, who has a matching bag that is already filled with items that came from another store. If Loss Prevention is watching the first person and miss the bag switch they will more then likely stop them while the second person walks out with the goods.
Box Stuffing
This Technique requires the use of a low priced box. You open the box and remove the contents of the box. You then proceed to refill the box with more expensive items. You then reseal the box and take it to a checkout aisle, where you pay the purchase price for the item. You then leave the store with the more expensive items concealed. If the items in the box have security tags on them they will still be active and will set off the alarm towers as you exit. Most of the time the staff will flag you through thinking a mistake was made at the register and the box was not deactivated. You can also leave the low priced item in the box if you have room for your concealed merchandise, make your purchase, then just bring the box with the item back in for a full refund.
Shoe Switching
This is a typical switch a roué technique where you leave a store with new shoes while leaving your old pair in the store. Some shoe stores will still have both shoes in the box with no security tags on them. These shoes will be the are the easiest to remove. Just swap out when no one is looking. If one of the shoes has a security tag in it then you will need to either use a tag detacher to remove it or if the tag is in a shoe lace hole you can cut the leather a little and pull the tag through the ripped hole. In a store where the employee has to retrieve shoes for you, find the shoes you wish to liberate. Once the salesperson retrieves the right pair, have them go back to the stock room to get another style so you can compare the two. Once the employee is sent back to the stockroom, you simply walk out with the new pair of shoes leaving the old pair in the box. It is always good to have at least two boxes of shoes left on the floor with the old pair in a bottom covered box and an other new pair exposed on top of it. This should allow you time to move away from the store as the employee seeing that you left the new shoes and boxes, will assume that you changed your mind and left.
High / Low Shopping Cart
With this technique two people will fill up a couple of shopping carts. One will have a few expensive items in it while the other cart will be full of miscellaneous items. You then proceed to the cashier and unload the expensive items first. The cashier scans the items and removes the security tags. As one person loads up the first cart with the high value goods the second person continues to unload the second cart. The second shopper distracts the cashier while the first leaves with the expensive items in the cart. When it comes time to pay the second shopper pays with an invalid credit card or gift card. After a few embarrassing moments the second shopper tells the cashier that they will have to go and get the first shopper who has the cash and leaves the rest of the items behind. They both then leave with the expensive items.
Shopping Cart Passing
Shopping cart passing is attempted by a two-person group. The first person will gather the desired merchandise into a shopping cart and take it to the register. The cashier will then ring up all the merchandise and place it in bags. Once the total is rung up, the shopper pays with an invalid credit card or gift card. Acting embarrassed for not being able to pay to first shopper leaves the store. Most cashiers will put the shopping cart off to the side and resume ringing up other customers. At this point, the second person moves in and grabs the cart and walks out of the store with the stolen merchandise already in bags.
Shopping Cart Hiding
You find the item that you are looking for and place it under the cart. You then continue to gather a small dollar amount of merchandise and places it in the upper part of the shopping cart. You then bring the cart to the register and remove all of the merchandise with the exception of the item you wish to take on the bottom of the cart. A lot of times this will be overlooked by the cahier and not rung up. Also small expensive items can be placed under large boxes or bags that are to big to be picked up at the register. If the cashier is not paying attention you will usually be able to get the merchandise past them without much effort. After paying for the smaller dollar items you leave the store.
Push Out
You fill the cart with a lot of high dollar items and you then proceed to the exit. This technique works well when there are register stands throughout the store and there are multiple exits. It would also help to have a receipt in your hand from a prior visit so that it looks like you have paid for the items in the shopping cart.
The Self Bagger
With this technique you enter the store with the stores bags already on you. The bags should be as new as they can be and you should have already acquired them in advance. Never walk into a store and pick up a bag out of the recycle bin or an empty cashiers stand. Begin by making your selections and then proceed to a predetermined blind spot in the store. You will then bag up the merchandise and place it the cart. With the merchandise bagged proceed to leave the store. This works really well if there are multiple cashers stands through out the store.
The Texas Twofer
This in also called the Two for One technique and works well in stores that have multiple check out stands and exits. You enter the store and proceed to gather items you wish to take into a shopping cart. Then placing the cart in a predetermined out of the way area, you grab a second cart and gather the exact same items into the cart. You then take and pay for all those items and leave the store with your receipt. You can either have a second partner or do it yourself. Come back into the store with the receipt and go to your first cart. Bag up the items and proceed to another exit with your receipt as if you just purchased it. This technique could be done for a third time if the store has three exits, but I would caution that this should only be done with a partner.
Bag Alarm
This works best in Mall stores. You walk into a store with a bag of items from an other store. Inside the bag is a concealed active security tag that will trigger the security alarm towers at the entrance of the store. Make a big deal out of it and make sure an employee notices that it was you that trigger the gates as you entered. Comment that there must be something from another store in their bag that triggered the gates. Ask them if they want to hold onto your bag while you shop and just pick it up on the way out. Find the items you want and conceal them on your body. If you still have your bag you may want to put items underneath the items you brought in. Remember though an alert staff may want to look into your bag as you leave. Before you leave find the employee that saw you come in tell them that as you go out you might set of the alarms again. When you trigger the gates again, just keep on walking.
False Alarm
Have a friend enter the store a few minutes before you do and act as if you do not know each. You collect the items that you wish to take while your friend gets a few low dollar items and purchases them. As they leave the store you will walk out right behind them. As they reach the alarm towers have them hesitate a little as you walk through setting off the alarm. You discreetly keep on walking while your friend stops and draws all the attention by looking confused with the bags. They should be very co-operative and happily opens all of their bags for the employee to see yet nothing they have will triggers the gates again. Give an explanation of the False Alarm by saying that it must be cell phone interference.
Decoy Alarm
You place an active tag into another shoppers bag while they are not paying attention. This works especially well with someone with children. You follow closely behind them as they walk through the alarm towers. The active tag will set off the alarm and the unsuspecting shopper will stop, as you continue to walk through. Parents will think that maybe their kid had something on them. All the attention will be on them as you leave the store.
Suspicious Friend
Have a friend enter the store a few minutes before you do and act as if you do not know each other. The friend will walk around the store acting very suspicious. Picking up items and putting them into a pocket making sure that they are seen, but not being obvious. When an employee sees someone acting suspicious they will begin watch that person. You then proceed to the opposite side of the store and retrieve the merchandise that you wish to take. Make any necessary adjustments to the items in order to remove them and then leave. Your friend should place any objects that where concealed back and then depart. If they are stopped while exiting they can easy prove that they didn’t take anything.
The Bathroom Heist
You need two people for this. Have a friend go into the store a few minutes after you. You go in and select whatever you want. The second person will have already entered the store and gone into the restroom. Have them wait in a stall. You go in with the merchandise. Go into the other stall next to your friend. Peek down at your friend’s shoes to make sure they are really next to you. Hand the merchandise under the stall, have them conceal the item and walk out first, leaving the store. You wait a couple of minutes, and then leave. If you are approached while leaving the store say you don’t know what they are talking about because you didn’t take anything. You decided not to buy anything and set the item down. You don’t what happened to it, it is not your reasonability to keep track of stores stuff. Do not admit to anything.!. You did nothing wrong and Loss Prevention will have to let you go.
Grazing
This commonly happens at a grocery store. While you are walking around shopping, you pick up some food such as candy, and eat it. If questioned you say that you entered the store with the item. When you are done with the item you discard the empty package on a shelf.
Out The Wrong Door
Some stores will have a separate one way entrance and exit doors. The entrance door will normally not have an alarm and can not be opened from the inside of the store. The alarm towers will be on the exit doors. This method will require two people or the help of an unsuspecting customer. You go in and retrieve merchandise from the store and conceal it. When you are ready to leave the store with your items, you wait at the entrance door. Have your friend open the entrance door for you as you walk out. You could do this without a friends help. Just wait by the entrance as a customer comes in and grab the door before it closes and walk out.
Walk Out
You go into a store and shop like you normally would collecting as many expensive items as you can carry. As long as your appearance and attitude are not of a suspicious nature you should go unnoticed. Once you have collected your items just walk out and go to your car and leave. This is easily done in small clothing shops that do not have Loss Prevention. The sales associates will be slow to react. It could also be done in large department stores that have multiple entrances as long as you have a friend waiting in a car ready to leave. If the store has only Ink Tags you may not even be noticed as you leave. If an alarm sounds, then continue to walk calmly out the door.
Grab and Run
You enter a store with prior knowledge of what you are looking for. You move toward the merchandise you wish to take. Once you have the merchandise then proceed to the nearest store exit, very quickly. I recommend two people, one as a driver and the other as the runner. Before entering the parking lot for the store, remove the license plate. Coordinate watches and have a set time that the car will pull up the door. Before dashing out, make sure the driver knows to open the rear passenger door. This way you can just run out and dive into the back as the driver peels off because employees are sure to follow you out. Find a safe place to reattach your license plate. Due to the short time that you are inside the store, the people who attempt this are rarely caught, or in some cases even detected. Also a group of people can rush a store and grab as much merchandise as possible and then rush out. The speed with which this happens and the large numbers of people involved make it very difficult to stop.
Emergency Exits
This a very old technique and still may work from time to time especially during the holidays. A person gathers a lot of expensive merchandise into a cart and goes to the nearest Emergency Exits . You grab all of your items, push the bar that sets off an alarm and open the door. Have a friend in a car waiting right outside the door for a fast get away. You need to remember that exits will usually have cameras watching them and all of your actions and your face could be recorded. Emergency exits will all have alarms and the newer ones are on a time release. This means when you hit it, it will not open for 10 seconds after the alarm goes off. Loss Prevention are very aware of this tactic and will be watching for suspicious behavior around these doors.
Casher Scanning
An easy scam done by a cashier is to have a barcode stuck on the inside of their wrist so when a friend wishes to purchase something, instead of swiping the item the cashier actually swipes their wrist. This is effective when purchasing fifty dollar video games, which will actually ring up a couple packs of gum. This method eludes security cameras since it looks like an actual sale transaction is taking place.
Receipt Matching
This technique requires that you already have a receipt for the merchandise that you are going to return. You could search either retailer’s parking lot or trashcans looking for receipts that have a high dollar item on it paid for in cash. The problems with this is that stores try to prevent this type of return by installing outdoor cameras to watch the parking lots. Some will also have a greater who will give you a sticker when you enter with a return. This prevents people from acquiring items from within the store to return. Newer stores now have their return desk entrance separate from the store entrance to prevent you from doing this. If these are not issues then enter the store and compare the items on the receipt to the merchandise in the store. Once the you find a match take the merchandise to the return area and receive money for it.
Receipt Passing
With this technique you need a partner who waits out side as you enter the store.
You select an expensive item and proceed to the checkout and purchase the item. Outside of the store you Pass the receipt and the stores bag off to your partner while you take the item to your car. With the receipt and bag concealed the second person goes into the store and finds the same item. they will then inconspicuously place the item into the bag and pick up a cheaper item on the way to the registers. With the receipt in hand they pay for the cheap item telling the casher they thought that they had better get this item before they leave.
Fake Returns
You go to the returns desk with a receipt and a box that contains a used or broken item, or something that has the same weight as the original item. This is best done when the return cashiers are busy and will not open the package. It also helps to have completely resealed the box and saying that it has never been opened. You would just like to have something different. However most high dollar items and almost all electronics will have a serial number on the outside of the box and it will be scanned at time of purchase. If it is returned, it will have to match the serial number on the item inside the box. They will open the box to double check it. You should have purchased the original item with cash so as to leave no evidence pointing to you.
Receipt printing
This method is a little more involved then most techniques because it requires you to have a thermal printer and receipt paper from the store you wish to make returns to. This can only be done with stores that do not use Bar-coding identification on the receipts. You purchase a few high value items with cash and gain a receipt that you can then copy. You proceed to make multiple copies of the same receipt so that you can use them to return items that you have taken from the store for a cash refund.
Receipt-less returns
This is a way of receiving cash or a store merchandise card without a receipt. You could attempt to remove items from off of the sales floor, walk up to the return desk, say that you lost your receipt and you would like to receive a refund. Unfortunately this is a risky move because Loss Prevention might be watching you as you go the return desk. After concealing the items, you leave the store. You would then proceed to another store and return the item there with out a receipt. Most stores will now require you to have a photo ID to return an item without a receipt and will limit how many returns you can make in a year. Large dollar amounts will always have to be approved by a supervisor. You can have fake Ids made up so that you can return more often to a store.
Fence Sliding
In stores that have garden centers one may be capable of sliding small expensive items under the fence. You then leave out the exit and come around to where slide your item under the fence. Or you could slide it to a waiting friend on the other side. Just remember to watch for those outdoor cameras.
Key & Serial Numbers
Many people download versions of games or software from the internet but cannot use the full version without a valid license. There are a couple ways of obtaining a license without removing the merchandise from the store. Take the item into a blind spot so that the packaging can be removed. Conceal the item and then take it into the privacy of a bathroom or dressing room to remove the packaging. Copy the serial number and then place the package in an inconspicuous place away from prying eyes.
Defective Software
A person buys a piece of software from a computer store, exits, opens the software, and records the serial number / CD key for single license of the software purchased. After at least a few hours the same person re-enters the store where he bought the software and complains to customer service that the installation disc is defective. Most computer store policies allow same-item exchange for opened computer software, so the person is given a different copy of the same software. The person now has two licenses after only paying for one.
Self-Checkout
It is possible to pass small items expensive items or large items through the self checkout without scanning them. You can do this if you have a lot of items you are purchasing. You can take a large item and pretend to scan it and place it right into the bag at the same time you pick up on the bag and place into your cart. The bagging area has a weigh scale that checks the weight of the scanned items. If there is a discrepancy, the supervising attendant is signaled to come to the station for assistance. The object is to never let the unscanned item sit in the bagging area. The scales will some times miss small light items so you could place multiple items into a bag without the computer noticing it. Beware - these checkout lanes are watched very closely by LP. Most have a camera overhead watching what you scan and a computer screen off site mirroring what your scanning.
Barcode Counterfeiting
While you are shopping you find an expensive item that you wish to have. You also noticed a cheaper version of the same item. You copy the numbers down from the UPC / Barcode off of the cheaper item. You can find bar coding applications and information on the internet that will generate a bar code for you. Print one out on a sticky label and then take it back into the store and place it over the barcode of the expensive item. Go through the checkout process, make a payment, have any security tags deactivated by the cashier and then walk out without arousing suspicion with your new item.
Ticket Switching
You find an item on clearance and remove the clearance tag. You then find a similar high dollar item and apply the clearance tag to it. You then bring the high dollar item to an unsuspecting cashier and pay for it at a clearance price. Unfortunately most retailers today now utilize electronic barcodes that when scanned will ring up the correct price.
Gift Card Cloning
With this tactic you go into a store and remove a bunch of Gift Cards that have no value. With a card reader you obtain the numbers off of the magnetic strip on the back of the cards and make copies of them. You then return the cards and wait for a customer to activate one. Once activated and money is added to the card the value is also then passed to the cloned card.
Opps - Did I Do That
When a person takes their place in the check out line with the items they intend to take, and pay for only one of those items while holding what they want to take in full view to cause confusion but avoid suspicion due to their apparent intention of payment. If the unlikely event of being caught, they could simply pass off the attempt as accidental.
im p sure these have been made before but i wanted to share my experience with looloo(:
my (small) haul is also below too!
i usually dress up on the nicer side, aka I wear either nicer shorts or jeans, think of clean girl vibes OR full on sports mom, u can even dress in lulu lol.
I usually like going when it’s busy. everyone has their own preference obvi but for me, When it is on the busier side like a weekend, SAs are not down ur back, fitting rooms are a bit more messier, u get away with leaving hangers in the fitting room cuz chances are there’s already some when u get in it etc etc. when i get into the store i also say hello back to the employees. they’re just doing their job by greeting you there’s no need to be rude! ill see some people just completely ignore the SA or roll their eyes and I get sad cuz they’re literally human so fck you if u think it’s ok to treat workers like shit.
i browse around like normal. I look at price tags, pick things up, look at the price, pretend I’m actually considering buying it, and putting things back on rack after. I might get an SA who asks hey can I get that for you in another size etc but just say you’re looking around. I always get around 3-5 decoys and 1-2 items I actually want. Most things are in hangers so I always grab the leggings cuz I can just use extra hangers for those. ALWAYS look at clearance too! Sometimes there are cute things there too but usually someone who lifts doesn’t look at clearance.
I don’t conceal on floor cuz I’m just not comfortable doing that and I don’t know much abt concealing on floor regarding clothes. my bag is actually really small (think baggu) so i wouldn’t have room to conceal on floor anyway.
i head to the fitting room and give them a fake name. at locations near me they don’t ask how much u have but if u do always say one less than you do. if u can get away with it do that but don’t have three items and say you only have 1. obvi they’ll know
i detag in the fitting room. they use tags that require hooks, and they’re similar to dïck tags where u have to jiggle it around and try a few times before it clicks off. if u have a booster bag throw ur tags in it. I don’t really believe in double tagging. if ur lucky you’ll find something random untagged so just use that to tag it. he price tag where it says the style & size HAS RFID. slice through it / cut in half or however u normally get rid of rfids.
and then u get out of changing room let them know it didn’t work out and thank them & just dip.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR TEENS! i haven’t seen anyone do this yet so i wanted to share the methods that work for me @ basically any bräñdÿ store !! also i have done all of these with at least one or two of my lifter friends and it has worked so far (knock on wood).
let’s start off with the precautions to take beforehand:
i HIGHLY recommend having a friend when going into brandy. the stores that are not located on a street or something are generally much smaller (and more difficult to lift from), compared to those in a plaza or mall. the ones in the PLAZAS or MALLS are the best options to go to especially during the pandemic. what i personally like doing a day before lifting is googling the store that you’re going to visit on yelp or any other website that can show the store’s exterior and interior. i always do this to get a realistic idea of the store’s layout based on where the register is in the pictures. don’t forget to go on their website and scout some clothing you might like! though, there is no option to check what is inside the store and isnt, it’s good to have a general idea of what you want in terms of basics, outerwear, bottoms, etc etc.
me and my friends also usually wear very basic bräñdÿ girl clothing like mom jeans, a cropped long sleeve top, oversized sweater, and converse. since these bräñdÿ’s are located in wealthier areas, i try to look a bit more upperclass so they wouldn’t expect anything. we bring dark-colored tote bags (thank god for this trend) or one of us brings a kanken since mostly teenage girls are in/work there and we dont look suspicious. we also save large shopping bags from common clothing stores such as uniqlo, urban outfitters, zara, etc. and hold one bag each with a sweater or two inside (depending on the size) to make it appear as if we’ve bought a lot of clothing and that we have money to spend inside of the store (jokes on them, we never do AHAHAHA). kankens are very very useful since theyre small and no one really expects anyone to steal with it but trust me, it can hold A LOT.
next, what we’re usually all worried about - TAGS:
don’t worry about them in this store! there is NO security tags on any of the brandy melville clothing. (most likely because they are placed in more wealthier areas/malls) usually, they are just casually hung up by a wire wrapped in fabric or folded and placed on benches. i live in the US and i have never seen any kind of security tag ranging from the pencil kind to the more rounded ones.
now, who to watch out for:
CONFIDENCE IS KEY! don’t be nervous love! it’s usually a bunch of scrawny girls that work there anyways and from what i’ve seen, they do not have an LP and they very rarely have security guards. an LP is a higher up representative from the company that comes in to watch the tapes but they very rarely come by. the only thing to be aware of is the WORKERS. they are often dressed in regular plain clothing and blend in with other customers around you. when you walk in, it is only easy to distinguish the people working the register. i say to spend 5 minutes, browsing and picking up/putting back items to get a feel for the place and to see who are workers and who’s not. often, they go around to fix and fold varying items or they’re restocking different areas. customers and workers can be easily confused so i recommend staying on your toes and being self-aware. this is where a lookout is most useful and why i highly suggest bringing a friend just to keep an eye on anyone that may be passing by.
and for the BEST part - how to actually lift:
due to the size of the store, me and my friends have distinguished a language of common things to say in code. for instance, i might say, “can you reach that tank top for me?” which basically translates to: “i’m going to put this in my bag, keep a lookout.” we always, always, ALWAYS make sure to go into a blindspot because it is so hard to find the cameras unless they are placed directly on the wall (honestly, thank god for the pandemic because these masks are SUCH lifesavers since they cover your face). anyways, since the tops are flimsy it is *very easy to stuff it in your regular lifting bag. if it is your first time, i reccomend getting any and all tops. i usually just put some in my extra shopping bag quickly and pile up on them. i also carry my kanken with only one arm and leave the zipper a bit open for my friends to easily slip in anything they want inside. i am about 5′4 and both of my friends are 5′6 - 5′7 so usually one person stands in front of me and one is behind me so then the person in front can reach for anything i might like, take it off the hanger and pass it to my friend behind me to place in my bag. it can also work with two people where the person holding the kanken passes each top to their friend behind them. but for the 3 people, i hope this poorly drawn diagram explains it a bit better LMFAOOO
for sweaters, since they are thicker, i mostly use a large zara shopping bag and place it under an actual zara puffer i got previously (but honestly any sweater from any store would work as a cover for it too, i’m just a very paranoid person and scared they might check my bag LMAO). moving the clothes around would be loud but they always play music in the store and those working are always doing something else. last but not least, for pants, this is when i like to use my kanken since they are larger than both a sweater and a tank it’s riskier. i usually hold them up to my waist, see if they might fit, and then i pretend to set it down when really i’m folding it to make it smaller. after, it is folded or rolled up very tightly, my friend becomes a lookout and i open the zipper to my kanken “looking for my wallet” and then i just stuff it in really quickly. before exiting the store, make sure you have no sleeves stinking out of ANY of your bags because there is almost always someone waiting at the door counting those coming in and out because of covid. remember to act CASUAL! if you act nervous, it will most definitely show to the workers. me and my friends are usually in there for about 15 - 30 minutes which is kind of a long time so one of us actually buys something cheap and simple as an explanation while the others leave and wait somewhere else.
and i think that is it AHAHA. if you have any questions or if i missed anything, be sure to pm me, i am more than happy to help !! remember: act casual! dont conceal on camera / BLINDSPOTS ARE YOUR BESTFRIEND! trust your gut and dont get greedy with items! i know everything in there is cute but it’s always good to not overdo it for the sake of both yourself and your safety!
here’s something for all the new babylifters too:
the paranoia gets better over time! use all the information on liftblr at your disposal and learn from experience and new knowledge! remember that whatever corporation you are lifting from, it is from a company that rakes in millions upon millions of dollars exploiting workers for a shirt that only takes 6 cents to make but is being sold for $26. the toxic capitalist system is justification enough and i promise that the workers and the company itself are BARELY affected by lifting. taking $200 worth of clothes or even $16, it is merely pocket change to these corporations. so, always stay safe and good luck loves !!!
So as many of you know, about a month ago I was caught and arrested. Obviously, I’m far too skittish to really lift much anymore, which is probably for my own good. Once I see how my trial plays out I’ll probably consider participating once again. However, I still love looking at everyone’s hauls on here, and I do enjoy sharing my experience and knowledge with those who are interested, so I figured I’d keep my blog active and stick around.
Many of you have asked about my method of acquiring designer purses. I’d told everyone to ask me privately, and have since then failed to respond to all of my DMs because, well, I was in jail, and afterwards I was naturally somewhat bitter and reluctant to return to tumblr, as I didn’t feel comfortable talking about what had happened to me, nor did I want to see everyone’s pretty hauls, since I knew I would kick myself for having made such stupid mistakes which have now deprived me of the courage/ ability to lift such nice things for myself. I’m sure you can all understand. But now that I’m alright and feel that I can handle myself I’m very happy to be back. Rather than answering everyone’s DMs individually, I’ve decided to post this publicly, since I have nothing left to lose. Additionally, I should clarify that I was NOT caught lifting purses. I’ll go over my arrest in a separate post. I’m not saying that this method is fool proof, but I have yet to have any issues executing it.
Let me start off by saying that I derived some of the basic techniques I’m about to explain to you from an entirely separate post I found on here many months ago. I can’t remember who posted it, so unfortunately, I cannot credit whoever originally shared some of this information. The post I’m referring to went over techniques for lower end bags, from stores like Target, H&M, and Francesca’s, if I remember correctly. I’ve had success at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s (though I advise everyone to stay FAR AWAY from here, PLEASE).
YOU WILL NEED 2 SHOPPING BAGS. A coat is optional. While a hook/ magnet will help, this can be done with wire cutters as well. On more than one occasion, I’ve seen purses with no tags at all. I personally advise doing this at Nordstrom, as they don’t hook their purses to displays requiring an SA to unlock it (as Macy’s does). Nordstrom will typically use a small white pencil tag requiring a MAGNET or wire cutters, Bloomingdales and Macy’s alike will typically use tags that require a HOOK or wire cutters. If you have neither, SOME tags (usually the white pencil ones) can be removed by placing the tag on a hook in the dressing room (so that the purse is suspended), and twisting hard enough to pop the tag off. I do not recommend this, as it takes too long in my opinion. If you have access to scissors, you CAN REMOVE THESE TAGS. It will take some time, but it is possible. You start by cutting through the plastic coating. Once you get to the wire, do NOT attempt to simply cut through the entire thing, because it will not work. You will notice that, rather than being one large wire, it is actually composed of many small ones. Maneuver your scissors between the wires, separating 2-3 from the entire bunch. Use a good amount of force with the scissors and it will cut through them. Work your way through the bundle of wires until you’ve cut through them all, and you’re done. Just be VERY cautious of SA’s and try not to make too much noise. Also, be careful with the wires, as they’re very sharp once they’ve been cut. They’ll both scrape you and stick to clothing.
Alright, so in most department stores, the purse section is located on the first floor. Start off with your two shopping bags on the crook of your arm. Make your way over and pick out whichever purse you would like. Obviously make sure that you do not already have a purse on you, which would look super sus. Additionally, make sure that no SAs are watching you as you physically pick up the purse. They are quite attentive, and I have reason to believe they may make commission, so if they believe you’re interested in purchasing the specific purse you’re trying to lift, not only will they customer service you to death/ offer to hold it at the register for you, but they will also be sus of you when that purse goes missing. So, when no one is looking (or at least no employees), pick up the purse and place it on the crook of your arm, in front of your two shopping bags. Casually leave the purse department and make your way to the escalator. More often than not, the dressing rooms will be on the second floor, which is where you’ll be heading next.
This next step is the one that I find to be the most important of all, it could make or break it entirely. It is crucial to wait until you are at least mostly out of view of the cameras. Usually, once you’re half way up the escalator, it’s pretty hard for any cameras or SAs to see you. Quickly and discreetly, move your purse and shopping bags around so that the purse rests in between the two shopping bags, in the crook of your arm. It sometimes helps to have a sweater draped over your arm/ bags, as to better conceal the purse. Once you’re on the second floor, shop around a little. Grab various articles of clothing to try on, making sure you grab at least one article (a coat, pants, etc.) with pockets to leave the tag in. Head to the dressing room, untag as you please, and discard the tag in a pair of pants/ coats/ etc. If you’re going to lift any clothes along with your purse, I advise concealing them in the purse that you’re lifting. Why? Because if something goes wrong, or you get a bad feeling, it allows you to ditch ALL of the merch at once, simply by leaving the purse. If this is what you are doing, remove some (or all) of the stuffing inside of the purse and put it in one of your shopping bags, but whatever you do, DO NOT leave it behind in the dressing room. Once you’re ready to leave, place your bags and purse on the crook of your arm once again (with the purse concealed between the two bags), drape your coat back over your arm if you please. Do NOT hand the article of clothing with the discarded tag to an SA. If they ask about it/ offer to hold it at the register for you, just say it’s a “maybe” and that you “want to hold on to it so that you can find some other pieces to match it”. Shop around a little more, putting the article of clothing with the extra tag back where you found it (not at the front of the rack), and then make your way to an exit. I advise parking close to an exit, but not too close (you don’t want LP taking down your plate numbers) and not in sight of a camera (for the same reason).
As you’re about to exit, take note of your surroundings. LP will generally be dressed in plain clothes as normal shoppers. They will always have some form of communication with one another (typically a phone). If anyone seems to be following you while constantly on their phone, they may be on to you. LP will not stop you until you’ve exited the store. This means, if they ARE on to you, they will be waiting outside of the exit for you. If you see anything like this, I advise dropping the purse and coming back another day. This has never happened to me while lifting purses, but this IS what happened to me when I got caught lifting other things (once again, making dumb mistakes and not taking my own advice). I saw the guy before I left the store, and had second thoughts/ almost turned back, but I didn’t, and I’m kicking myself for it now.
Once you’re out, I advise putting the purse/ other lifted things in you trunk, as police cannot search your trunk or glovebox (if it’s locked) without a warrant. And that’s that! If anyone has any further questions I’d be happy to answer them. And as I said before, I’ll be making a separate post about how I got caught, in hopes of potentially helping everyone avoid some of the mistakes I unfortunately made that night. Stay safe lovelies ~
i find caught stories so helpful when i’m lifting, so i decided to make a masterpost for some popular stores! obviously this is not exhaustive, so feel free to add on.
black friday is very stressful and stores will be bringing in lots of SAs and LP, so i made this masterpost so that u babies can stay safe!!! many people say not to lift on black friday, and i personally wouldn’t recommend it– but if you’re going to, at least take precautions.
okay, not saying these tips are foolproof but i really think that they are what has helped keep me from being caught even though i’ve been lifting on and off for quite a while. they’re nothing new but IMO these are the most useful things to keep in mind, especially if you’re wanting to start doing it more seriously for boosting, holiday season, etc.
disguises are your best friend. once you’ve perfected your disguises, there are so many more opportunities such as
visit multiple times close together
scope out the store on multiple days to see what the vibe is like when it’s busy/slow, check for cams, etc without them recognizing you!
shake off LP if you think you’ve been sussed
i know there are several posts going around with disguise tips so i won’t bother typing mine out but lmk if you want advice on this
don’t wear perfume/cologne; it can draw more suspicion. LP is looking for you; they walk by you in disguise but recognize your perfume, do a double-take and realize you’re wearing a wig, took off your glasses, etc.
lifting with others can be a double-edged sword. i prefer to go solo, or have one consistent partner, because….
LIFTING IN A GROUP IS EXTREMELY RISKY! if you’re all caught, the charges can be much more serious since they may frame it as a “crime ring”, but if you do decide you want to do it:
pretend not to know each other until you are safely away from the store. don’t come in the same cars, don’t park near each other, don’t all go to each store all at once.
don’t even ride the same public transport together since most buses/trains have cameras (at least where i live) and if they suspect you at all, the police can pull the bus footage easily.
a couple people can act as decoys by being extremely sus (staring directly into camera, shifty glances, double-hanging items, etc) while the most skilled lifter of the group is the one actually doing the work.
ALSO, lifting with someone who you’ve never lifted with before can be a disaster. obviously every pair has to pull off their first lift, but it’s so important to practice your concealing techniques with your partner firsthand so that you know what works for both of your skills. my best friend also lifts but we just don’t work well with each other and the risk isn’t worth it when we’re both proficient lifters on our own.
i avoid using tools that aren’t everyday objects.
i’ve never used magnets bc of magnet detectors, potentially sticking to clothing racks, and severely increased consequences if i were to be caught.
i use a hook occasionally because it’s easy to conceal on-body, but if possible i just leave it in the car.
try to get comfortable in crowds. if you’re lifting in a crowded store there is a higher ratio of shoppers to LP = more people that 1-2 LP are having to try to watch at any given time. i know for some people anxiety or other issues mean that this isn’t possible, but if you think you can overcome it, crowds can be another great tool.
that being said, other shoppers will fucking snitch on you in a heartbeat, so you need to stay on your toes.
shoppers are not there to look at other shoppers; they’re there to look at the products.
don’t smile at other shoppers, don’t pick up the same item as them at the same time, don’t use crouching methods when they’re nearby since you can’t tell if they’re looking over your shoulder without seeming sus.
if another shopper accuses you of stealing or you think you’ve been sussed by them, GET THE FUCK OUT. it’s just as serious as if LP has sussed you.
some stores will take the side of the customer over the SA since the SA is a representative of the company and they want to cover their ass, but if another customer goes to the counter and says, “that woman there is shoplifting” they’re more likely to follow through, start trailing you, etc. just leave.
even if you don’t want to risk lifting in a crowd, spend time people watching when you’re not lifting. this can help you gain a sense overall of when people are looking at you or how to predict their next movements etc. this is something that i do as part of my regular job so i think that experience has really helped me.
if you have to ditch, ditch off camera. even if they can’t stop you after you’ve ditched, they can look out for you when you come back and they may catch you on your next trip.
that’s it for now! i might do a part 2 if enough people find this post helpful :-)
first and foremost, always conceal in a blindspot! if there aren’t any natural ones, duck down to create one or, if you’re with a lifting buddy, have them stand between you and the camera.
♥ clothing rack
pick up an item and walk over to a clothing rack. go to a clothing rack and, with the same hand as the item, pretend to look through the clothes. as your hand is deep in the rack, either sleeve the item or drop it into your purse. this is a great, natural way to create a blindspot.
♥ double and sleeve
this is the most basic sleight-of-hand and is something every lifter needs to have in their tool belt. this works for long and small items, like lipgloss or mascara. grab two of the same item, hold them as if they’re one, and slide one into your sleeve. you can do this while swinging your arm to propel the item into your sleeve, or just put it subtly in with your fingers.
♥ drop
this works for bigger items. wedge several items between your elbow and ribs.
“accidentally” drop one of them from your elbow into your bag as if you had too many items and one of them just fell into your bag accidentally.
♥ lightning conceal
this one is literally just putting something into your purse as quickly as possible. ONLY do this in a blindspot as it’s very obvious the intent is to steal the item.
♥ starbucks cup
get an opaque coffee cup, cut an X into the bottom, and shove little items (concealer, lip gloss, mascara etc) into it. if you do it properly they shouldn’t fall you. you can also pad the cup.
♥ food bag
get a bag of food from the mall food court. eat some and leave some food in there. drop items into your bag. if you get sussed, you can eat food out of the bag. an alternative of this is to put a hole in the side of the bag and put items through the hole rather than just through the top of the bag.
♥ armpit
tuck something under your armpit and either walk out with it there or walk to a blindspot and lightning conceal.
♥ long skirt
wear tight spandex and, when squatting in front of a low shelf at sephora or ulta, push your skirt up slightly and slide a small item into it. pallettes may fit in the waistband. make sure you practice this at home to make sure they’re tight enough and nothing will fall out.
♥ phone
hold something small between your hand and your phone and then put your phone and item back into your purse like you’re only holding your phone.
Maybe a Tip? Take it with a grain of salt, it's just my point of view.
TAGGING
I worked in retail, three clothing stores, and at each and every one, we were often asked to be on the floor and tag merchandise there while assisting the customers. At stores with pushy sales associates and not too large, not too many employees, we would also detag stuff ON THE FLOOR.
I can’t tell you how many times I was told “tags in pockets? Double tagged? STOLEN. DON’T ASSUME OTHERWISE.”
And yet, I would be working and drop one part of the tag (just one) on the floor and it would get lost. We’d sometimes find them and just throw them back in their bins for later tagging. My point is this: employees don’t drop sealed tags, ON THEIR OWN, on the fucking floor. We just don’t. Ever. But drop a piece to the tag? Yes. Sometimes, we do. If your store doesn’t have cameras or has inattentive sales associates, if you can do so on camera without being suspicious, walk around with the rest of your hangers like you’re still looking. Drop in two solitary areas away from sight one part vs two parts. If a sales associate sees a part of the tag missing, and can’t find the other part nearby, they’ll assume it was THEIR fault. I dropped this piece while tagging on the floor! I dropped it while bringing the bins of sensors and tags *the part that goes off, and separately the part that locks it to the clothing, kept together* while bringing it to the back, OR TRAVELING AROUND THE STORE WITH IT AND EYEING CUSTOMERS. At every store I worked at, even fucking Lacoste, that merchandise as well as the detagger were kept duplicates of on the floor for “tasks.”
If you double tag an item, they’ll go check their cameras. They’ll know someone stole.
If they see a closed tag on the floor, someone stole. A sales associate would never do that.
If they find both parts to a tag in a pocket, someone stole. They know that. They will EVALUATE WHO IT WAS.
If I saw one part on the floor, many times it happened, “Oh, silly us. Dropped it while tasking.” At the very least, there is less conclusion than those items thrown TOGETHER. Get rid of tags in the most subtle and accidental way possible. Please don’t double tag or put tags in pockets. Sales associates will notice.
Either way, you take a risk. Not sure if this helps anyone, but this is how it was for me. I once found a piece and told my manager one of us might have dropped it, and she just said “happens all the time. Put it back in the bin.”
Okay! R is here to share tips at lifting from aritzia. I used to work here for a good half a year and although that’s not much, I’ve picked up many tips and tricks that can help you fellow lifters.
Anyone who’s ever been inside aritzia probably knows that the second you pick an item up, an SA will instantly ask to start you a fitting room. So i’m going to start with what I do the second I walk in.
P.S. I JUST GOT MY MAGNET IN ON THE 24TH, SO ALL MY ARITZIA LIFTING PRIOR HAPPENED BECAUSE THEY WERE CARELESS IN TAGGING THEIR CLOTHES. SO YES, YOU MAY BE LUCKY WITHOUT A MAGNET. OR YOU CAN BRING A SEAM RIPPER. THEY ONLY TAG THE INNER LAYER OF THEIR SILK/DELICATE CLOTHES. So although you will have to rip through this, it is the INNER layer and makes no difference to the appearance.
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1. Dress appropriately. THIS IS VERY FUCKING IMPORTANT. If you dress like a slob, you’ll be watched by a manager or an SA (usually a manager). If you dress in a burberry scarf and an LV bag, you will be harassed to death. So wear normal clothes and a normal looking bag. ALSO, Aritzia has a “no-bag policy”. So you must conceal your items within your own clothes. That means you should be wearing long coats, maybe some leggings, loose fitted tee’s, etc. At one point i shoved merch in my fucking uggs.
2. Plan out what you want. Usually i go in thinking: “I want maroon and black clothes today”. Then, I will only pick up maroon and black clothing. This confuses the SA’s when you start a fitting room with 7 maroon items and 4 black items. None of your items will stand out and therefore they will have a harder time recalling if you had an item or not. If you want, pick up 1 item that you do not plan on lifting that will stand out. In this scenario you can pick up a bright blue dress or a $600 jacket. The SA’s will be so focused on the jacket that they won’t care about what else you have. Remember, these girls are forced to sell $350/hr MINIMUM or they will get their hours cut each week. THAT IS WHY THEY HARASS YOU SO MUCH.
3. They do not count your items in the fitting room – HOWEVER, they will be extremely suspicious if you have hangers leftover. ALSO, if you remove the items from the hangers and they ask to start you a fitting room and you say yes, THEY WILL PUT EACH ITEM ON A HANGER. What I like to do is i try on a sweater, but I put 2-3 items on that one hanger and attempt to hide those items. Aritzia girls get suspicious if they see you removing too many things off hangers, so play it smart. I’m really short so me pulling clothes off hangers on a high rack seems reasonable. So for example – If you want to lift 4 items and you’re trying on 10 items TOTAL, you should only have 6 hangers visible.
4. When you’re asked if you need a fitting room. I always say “no, I’m okay for now” or “no not yet, I wanna show my friend first”. This works well when you’re only holding 1-4 things. Once you start to look like you’re holding too much, they will literally follow you around and say “Oh are you sure? Omg love that looks sooo heavy let me help you out”. If you concealed your extra articles of clothing in those hangers well enough, go ahead and say yes. Chances are, they won’t notice.
5. Lastly, before you go in the fitting rooms, pick up another 1-2 items WITHOUT A HANGER, and proceed into the fitting rooms. This is just in case – In case they found your triple-itemed hanger or in case you decide you can fit more shit into your clothes.
6. The rest is self explanatory, basically just make sure your items are completely detagged (I believe it was 1 tag for items from $0-299, 2 tags for $300-$499, and 3 tags for $500+). I highly recommend you wear a big scarf so that you pull off the illusion that you’re wearing chunky clothes from start to finish. When you’re done you can decide if you wanna just say you didn’t like anything (They’ll be very annoyed with you and you’ll feel uncomfortable) or you can walk out with one thing and say you still need time to think about it.
7. IF YOU BEEP, the security guard up front WILL stop you if he for sure knows its you. If you walk out in a crowd he cannot do shit. BUT I AM SERIOUS WHEN I SAY YOU WILL BE STOPPED BY SECURITY. OH, and when I used to work there, the code for scoping out a shoplifter was “There’s gum on the floor in section ___”.
ONE LAST THING – Aritzia is really difficult to lift from when it’s half dead. you won’t get away with many things so I highly recommend going during the holiday seasons, boxing week, and their “Snooze you lose” sale.
OKAY THAT IS ALL MY LOVES, any other questions feel free to ask J or I. Enjoy your expensiveass clothes <3
It’s a really trendy popular store based in Canada! The clothing are absolutely adorable but it’s expensive as hell! I believe there’s some locations in the US. Since it branched out over the years :)
lol no Aritzia is generally known as a store for skinny rich white girls. They carry sizes XXS-L from what I’ve seen (they have XL too but they never seem to have it in stock)
Make yourself a coffee and have a seat, this is gonna be a long one.I’ve seen a few posts of late from people saying “Stop messaging me regarding ‘teach me to lift!’” and I’ve gotta say this: yeah, guys, don’t do that. (Nothing wrong with asking for tips about specific chains or locations, but “teach me how to do this” is something entirely different.) I started replying on a post about this, but it got long, and I didn’t want to hijack, so here’s why we can’t teach people how to lift.
#1: Because there is no substitute for on-field experience
Probably the hugest part of lifting is knowing how to look for things, and tailoring your body language and behaviour to what you’re doing, and threat recognition. This stuff, no matter what you see, is partially instinctual, and you need to hone these skills for yourselves: you can’t learn this from someone else. We can tell you what to look for, or avoid, but we can’t get inside your brain and make those neurons connect and realise that “holy shit, I was just sussed then,” or “that’s not actually a blind spot” or “there is a sales assistant standing right behind me,” or “there is a vague threat somewhere and I need to get out.” (I have a sneaking suspicion if you have experience in areas like security or the military or in any other field where you’re having to be aware of what’s going on around you, this might be a skill that comes reasonably naturally to you, but honestly, this can take people in those industries *years* to develop.)
Consider it this way: when you learned just about any other skills you have, did you message someone online or did you get out there and practice, finding out what worked for you and how to do it better? Someone can’t teach you to lift online any more than they can teach you how to draw, or ride a bike, or do mental mathematics. You might be able to borrow from techniques and theory that has worked for them, but the actuality of doing it is something you’ve gotta do.
Nearly all of lifting skill is physical and psychological in nature. This is exactly why people say to start slow and to make sure you don’t do it when you’re feeling “off.” Because you’re going to give away little tells that you won’t see yourself.
A huge part of it is confidence, and again, no one can teach you that. It’s something you have to develop for yourself. Hell, I wish I could teach people how to be confident, because I could probably make a lot of awesome people realise how great they are, and I could also probably cash in on something like that, hardcore, but nope: confidence is something developed. (Some advice? Get this shit sorted as early as possible. It sucks living with second-guessing yourself through what are meant to be the best years of your life.)
#2: All of us are different, as are our circumstances.
Also, disgusting and shitty as it is, people are judgemental fucks. What works for me could be downright dangerous if I was younger, if I had a small child with me, if I was a person of colour, if I was male. It would be, frankly, irresponsible of me to say, “Sure, this is my fail-safe MO” (I’m happy to offer generalised tips, but I don’t give away everything in my magician’s bag) with the assumption that everyone else is like me and their environments are like mine. An example? In my country, stores *can* check bags on request as you’re leaving. Most of my US friends would be going, “WTF, they can’t do that!” right now, but oh yes, they can, even if they didn’t see anything suss. So, if, I dunno, I was to ask a US lifter to teach me how to lift, they wouldn’t mention that, and my arse would be grass by now.
Dealing with SAs and LP is different for me, too: if I was caught and started crying, no one would have a lick of sympathy for me, for example, because of my age– but I’ve heard of younger people being able to get seriously reduced consequences for being able to elicit sympathy from the gatekeepers.
#3: Because all of us learn differently and at different speeds.
For better or worse, I seemed to pick it up quickly. But the moment you start comparing yourself to what other people can/’t do is the moment you’re leaving yourself vulnerable. Again, this is why people advise starting slow: no one wakes up one morning and just steals 20 Naked palettes and 400 MK handbags on a whim.
Maybe it will take you two months to progress beyond stealing a pair of socks at a low-security chain. There is nothing wrong with that: hey, you scored free socks, and you didn’t get caught: that’s actually fucking awesome. If you learn at your own pace, and keep in mind that it always pays to err on the side of caution and go slower and more conservative than what you are pretty sure you could feasibly get away with, that’s good. Don’t overestimate yourself, especially in the early days where it’s starting to feel awesome and liberating and like you’ve conned the system: nail that feeling down: you are still only human, and true confidence means being able to accept your strengths and weaknesses, and understand that the laws of physics, odds and thermodynamics still apply to you.
Also, keep in mind that because we’re all fabulously diverse and different, so are our learning styles. You might be one of those people who picks up a new language in a couple of weeks with a bit of work. You might be one of those people who has watched anime for decades and still only knows a couple of Japanese words and can’t pronounce them correctly. Maybe it took you an afternoon to learn how to ride a bike? Maybe you sold the bike after a month of going, “Fuck this, it ain’t gonna happen.” Lifting requires a set of skills that are similarly vague and often based on how someone learns/operates. It doesn’t make people “born lifters” or “impossible lifters,” it just means that you may need more or less time to develop and learn certain things, and there is no set “this is how it goes.” Of course, there are always going to be a few outliers everywhere, from that person who *does* seem born to lift, and that other person who needs months to get a lipstick, (to that person who gets hundreds from Sephora and still feels like it “wasn’t much”) but you don’t need to worry about being one of them or where you “should” be: think about YOU as a person and what’s working for you.
Similarly, I’d argue: don’t compare yourself to other people! Jane Doe Lifter might have gotten into this stealing groceries because her kids were starving. She might have grown up in a way that made her hyper-aware of threats. Conversely, Annie Someone Lifter might have wanted some new shoes that she liked, and might have grown up being an A-grade student who was taught from when she was a tot that “stealing is evil,” (so she may have some “OMFG I am doing something bad” nerves to contend with that Jane has managed to set aside because necessity of her kids not starving of CPS visiting her) and hasn’t noticed threats because she’s not had threats in her immediate vicinity. NEITHER of these women are better than one another, just different. Both will have their own advantages and disadvantages. (Annie might have middleclassness on her side so she isn’t immediately suspected by SAs, Jane might have been able to locate weaknesses in staffing much quicker than Annie did.) I think that’s everything I have to say about this, but honestly, PLEASE, GUYS, relying on someone to teach you how to lift isn’t a great idea, especially if you expect to learn through an online textual conversation. I hope this doesn’t come across as me being mean or trying to sound like I’m some sort of expert: I’m really not, but I get worried when people see it as a simple gag you don’t have to put much thought or effort into.
yes!! you can read tips all day long, think you have everything covered- but you cannot account for all of what occurs in each individual situation. you can, however, ensure as much as you can that you are safe and will not be caught. that’s it.
Lots of people asking how I did this, literally the easiest thing in the world.
So I went into a LV stand alone store, I didn’t actually go in with the intention of lifting just had some time to kill so went in for a browse.
So the first thing I notice is the amount of products out on display, not locked in drawers or in glass counters. Then I notice that there’s no security person by the door or else where in the store. Next thing I notice is no (visible) cameras, and then that there’s about 2 members on the shop floor.
The store is split into two levels and I’d already picked out my concealing spot. So I wonder over to the wallets, pick a few up, look inside to check for tags and to appear as though I’m genuinely interested in the item. Then whoop, there is goes under my armpit (favourite method).
On my way out I spot the bag which in on display in a little well-hidden corner. I again look inside to check for tags and look at the price etc. Then I slip it on my arm in between some other shopping bags and walk out. Easy peasy lemon squeezy 👌🏻