An important thing to remember when searching for a blind spot is to not look directly at the cameras! I know your instinct is gonna be to tilt your head up and scan the ceiling to make sure you didn’t miss any but it is extremely obvious lp know exactly what you are doing when you do this. You need to make sure you are only moving your eyes when you glance up at the ceiling and to keep your head in the same position it was before. This is also best to do as you stroll by so you’re not just stopping to look at the ceiling!
Also hidden cameras are a thing, although not extremely common. If a blind spot seems too good to be true, for example no cameras in an isle with electronics and video games, then it likely is. Sometimes stores place hidden cameras to trick people into concealing directly on camera, while believing they are in a blind spot. These cameras can be very difficult and near impossible to spot, but are not extremely common so I would just be very weary of blind spots that seem too good to be true or are in a high theft area of the store.
My favorite blind spot method when looking to conceal small items is making my own blind spots using angles and slight of hand. The idea is that you can angle your body in certain ways in front of the camera where it is not clear what you are doing. For example squatting down to look at the bottom shelf while you are angled in a way that the camera can not see the side of you that your bag/purse is on while discreetly slipping and item in. If you use slight of hand at the same time you can conceal small items without the camera picking up on it. One slight of hand method is the “take two, put back one” method. This is where you grab two of the same items, making it look like you are only holding one thing and you discreetly conceal one and then put the other on back on the shelf. If you pull it off right, from the camera’s perspective it looks like you picked one item up and then changed your mind about it and put it back. You can also use other people to block the view of cameras but I do not recommend this method for beginners.
My last tip is sometimes when you Google your specific store location that you plan on going to it will show review photos that sometimes show the layout of the store and if your lucky it will show the ceiling so you can look and see where the cameras are. If you can find photos like this you will have an idea where the cameras are and possibly be able to scout blind spots before you even go into the store!
IF YOU AREN'T A ROLEPLAY BLOG PLEASE DM ME BEFORE FOLLOWING.
I'm blocking non roleplayers.. this is a rp blog i only want other rp'ers following me .. i don't wanna see triggering blogs and stuff like that please without knowing ur also a rp'er. thank you
DISCLAIMER: this is a comprehensive road map or “cheat sheet” that I originally created for my own personal use. I used my own experiences, others’ experiences (shoutout to @lyft1ngburn3r ‘s post in specific), and research I’ve done to create this. It’s extremely important to know this information, and know it well, so even under pressure you can reference back to it to keep yourself safe.
If caught by someone who has no legal power to physically stop you (like employees and LP): just get the hell away. Loss Prevention doesn’t have a badge; they are staff, not officers, so they have no legal power to physically restrain or search you. Walk, run, drive off, etc. No matter how intense the situation is, just GET AWAY. Even if you are scared and you feel like you’re going to shit your pants, running is ALWAYS better than having cops haul you off in handcuffs or catching a charge. Try not to run unless you absolutely need to, it draws attention. They may try to block the exit, so in an emergency situation like that just fucking BOOK IT. Don’t give them your ID, ever. Don’t give them your real name. Do not admit to anything. If the situation isn’t too tense, you can ask them if they’d like to see the inside of your bag or show them yourself if you body concealed to appear less suspicious. If they threaten to call the cops, fine, but don’t wait around for them and get the hell out.
If you are stopped by police in store or police who were called:
First, ask if you are free to go. Get a CLEAR YES OR NO.
⬇️
If they say yes, calmly walk away.
⬇️
If they say no, you are being detained and no longer have the legal right to walk away. Being detained is not the same as being arrested, think of it as being held. In which case you need to COOPERATE!!! In this instance, I don’t recommend running. Most police will chase you and “evading arrest” can result in another/higher charge. If you think you can get away, it is up to you to take that risk. DO NOT get physical with police. You WILL be locked up for that, assault of law enforcement is never taken lightly.
> The officer will ask for your: name, address, and ID. Again, COOPERATE with them. Giving false information can result in another/higher charge.
(If you are a minor, a legal guardian is needed to confirm your information. If you are not being arrested and think they will go along, you can choose to give them false information and have your guardian “confirm” it then be on your merry way. Again, only do this if you think your legal guardian will back you up and if you are not being arrested. Even as a minor, you will need to provide your real information in the event of an arrest. If you’re a minor they are also not legally allowed to take photos of you.)
> The officer may legally FRISK you during detainment (this is an EXTERNAL pat down of yourself and your bags if they have REASONABLE SUSPICION that they are in danger or that you are armed), but you do not have to consent to it. The officer may listen or may not. Say “I do not consent to this search” as it may stop them and it may come in handy later should the situation escalate.
⬇️
If you are being arrested, the officer may legally SEARCH you (this is more invasive and can include going through your pockets, bags, closed containers, feeling the inside of your waistband, removing your shoes and/or hat, and shaking out your bra if you are wearing one), but again you do not have to consent. Say “I do not consent to this search”. DO NOT empty your pockets, as this is consenting to a search.
> After that, SHUT THE FUCK UP. Say you are going to remain silent and that you would like to speak to an attorney, then BE SILENT. I cannot stress this enough, do not give up any information that you don’t have to. Do not sign ANYTHING or speak to ANYONE about details of your arrest until you have an attorney present.
In other words: if there are no cops involved, you are still in the clear if you can get away. RUN LIKE YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD DEPENDS ON IT! If cops are involved, shut the fuck up and comply. Hope that they don’t have enough to arrest/charge you or that they choose not to. They might just put your name into the store’s system and take your picture, in which case be grateful. Who needs their stinky merch anyway.
Please be safe out there. I was arrested when I was 12 for l!fting at Cl@/re’s and it was incredibly traumatic. Some people are genuinely deranged and enjoy punishing people they deem less worthy of respect than them. They will not hesitate to fuck your life up over a lipgloss, so in turn don’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect yourself. Lots of love from this stranger to you, my messages and asks are always open <3
one thing I love doing when making sure I'm out of sight of cªmerªs is fake yawning
I am not tall so it's harder for me to see with just moving my eyes. but with fake yawning, I can lift my head a bit and not fully close my eyes, getting a much better view without being suspicious
DISCLAIMER: This is a post I created for my own personal use that I'm now sharing to help others. This means that you may recognize some of this information from other posts (or your own!), because I like to compile and rephrase any information I find helpful. I don't list sources for everyone's safety, but that is in no way because I want to pass off some of this information as my own. Feel free to comment or message me if you think someone should be credited and I will gladly do so <3 Any additional info is always appreciated!
General Tips & Tricks:
Remember, no ID, no case. Avoid using your credit/debit card whenever possible, as they can ID you this way and case build. You can either pay with cash, load up a V1sa credit card, or don’t pay at all ;)
Park away from camera view in the parking lot.
Act like a normal shopper. Browse, look at prices, and don’t look around at other people.
Avoid looking at the doors if there is beeping, most normal people wouldn’t notice or pay attention.
Always do your research before hitting a store. Scope out the location ahead of time, check out the cameras in the parking lot and in the store, get an idea of how vigilant they are about checking receipts, find out when they’re the busiest, check for LP and security.
On weekdays when it’s slower some stores won’t have security, but will bring them in on the weekends. This is true for stores like Tom Finger and Kroh-ger.
Self Checkout:
Use reusable bags. Place the less expensive items/the ones you plan on actually paying for at the top of the bags. Scan those and “forget” the items at the bottom.
Bring a new looking receipt, or create a fake receipt of the items you’re taking (buy a receipt printer and print your shopping list using the store's template/format for receipts)
Create fake label stickers at home. Take a picture on your phone for barcodes and get a label sticker. Make your code for whatever dollar amount you want (like $1 each).
Scan things quickly and cover the barcode with your hand on “accident” when scanning. This is riskier because sometimes the camera or machine will catch this and stop your checkout process to replay video of you skipping an item (which is so embarrassing lmao).
Get a packet of dressing or gravy (which runs .30 to .50 cents) and hold it under the item you're scanning. This is also a little more on the riskier side just because an employee or cameras can physically see the price of the item scanned versus the item you’re holding.
If you’re satisfied with a nice self-given discount, it’s lower risk to tear the tag off a cheaper item similar to the one you’re getting. For example you can hold the barcode for a cheaper pillow against the actual tag for a more expensive pillow.
A good rule of thumb for self checkout is to act as quickly as possible. Your actions will be much harder to catch if you’re hard to keep up with. Don’t come off as frantic or worried though, just look like you’re busy and have someplace to be.
Place smaller items underneath cheaper bigger items or underneath the cart and “forget” to scan them at self checkout. This created very realistic plausible deniability. One good example is playing a pack of toilet paper on top of a dozen sheets of pimple patches or face masks. It’s not going to occur to anyone to look underneath such a big item.
Likewise, you can place smaller items into bigger items and buy that one bigger item. For example, buying a large plastic bin or laundry hamper and placing items inside. This is higher risk though, because you will have to conceal the smaller items on the floor. Finding blindspots can be difficult, and hidden cameras are a thing. If you are seen doing this, it will be obvious what you are attempting to do so be sure you are being tactful. This may also draw attention because this is a common and well known thing that people do, even if they are not experienced lifters.
To create more plausible deniability, wear earbuds/headphones and play music. If you're caught you can pretend you didn't hear that the scanner didn't beep on the item.
Pretend you’re shopping for 2 people and need to do 2 different orders. If you're caught trying to leave without paying for something, just say the rest of the items are for someone else. Scan them, take the L, and move on.
Buy bulk. If you have multiples of items, it's easier to make it less obvious you stole something. So if you have 5 bottles of the same soda and only scanned 3, it looks less suspicious than if you only had 1 and it never left your cart.
Body Concealing:
Go to the freezer section, as you are “looking for ice cream” have your bag of choice situated on the side of your body where the door is blocking you; the condensation should block your actions. The items you want to conceal should be in your hand, so then just drop it in. Make sure no one’s on your other side.
Get two meat packs and have them facing each other for easy concealment.
The makeup aisle is highly monitored, for the love of god don’t try to conceal until you’re in another section. Don’t get too much makeup at one time either, try to grab moderate amounts like someone spending their own money would.
Carside Pickup:
Tell them that you have store credit, most will never check and as long as it’s less than like $50 they’ll probably give it to you. It might be more believable if you say “last time I picked up you guys forgot to give me my “xyz”, and I didn’t want to come back to pick it up so you said you’d take the $10.99 (or whatever amount) off this order”.
You most likely will not get ID'd at carside.
Walkouts:
Find a store with a Stardollars inside. Have a drink and have your bag already filled and leave after you’re finished. This works for smaller hauls, don’t attempt with a whole cart, it will be more obvious. To my knowledge, this is a well known method by employees so in some situations this might be higher risk.
Don’t stop if they ask you to. Wave them off (as if you couldn’t be bothered and you find them an inconvenience), pretend not to hear, quickly flash a receipt, etc.
Be patient and fight your window of opportunity. Don’t rush out, wait and see when no one is paying attention to the doors.
You can have someone watch your back as you leave. Meaning, they can stay back to see if anyone notices and follow you out after or if it’s a high risk situation, they can block the exit with a shopping cart and tell you to run.
The best approach is to do walkouts when no one will notice. This means going when it’s busiest (the weekends, specifically Sunday afternoon) and at higher income areas where they will not be on high alert.
Do not double dip too often at the same stores, rotate the stores you hit unless you are going in disguise. The same logic applies with lifting anywhere, dress nice and blend in. Face masks are preferable.
Some stores have shopping carts with wheels that will lock up for one of these two reasons:
1. You attempt to leave without paying (meaning the wheels will lock at the store doors). This is meant to prevent theft known as “pushout” or “walkout” theft.
You can get around this by either walking out with a basket or reusable bags instead, or by going through the point of sale areas to deactivate the locking mechanism. Either walk through an empty cashier aisle so it appears you paid, or through self checkout.
2. You attempt to leave the premises. This is meant to prevent shopping carts from being taken off the lot, so unless you’re trying to steal the cart too or you parked far from the store it shouldn’t be an issue.
Usually there will be signs throughout the store notifying shoppers of this, or you can tell by looking at the carts’ wheels. There will be two out of the four wheels either on the front or the back that look different from the others, like there is some sort of clunky shield on them.
You can learn more about how this works at:
Local Fred Meyer stores are rolling out a new device to hopefully keep shoplifters from leaving with merchandise.
RETAILERS like Walmart and Target have used anti-theft shopping carts with rollercoaster-style wheels that are small but stay strong for 35,
***This is a new idea I have not tested yet, but I will edit this portion of the post when I do. Wear a F@/vor or insta-nt-cart shirt/cap and bring the company bags to fill up (you can probably find these items online on eB@/y, etc). Routinely check your phone as you shop like you are collecting an order for a customer that already paid online. Walking out will raise less questions when you seem like a mere worker carrying out someone else’s order. That way you can also claim the items have already been paid for online if you are stopped. You could go as far as to have a fake item pulled up on the app or create a fake picture/screenshot.
Best places to go grocery shopping:
Trade Joey's (best for body concealing as there are few, if any, cameras)
Sproots
Worst places to go grocery shopping:
Fuckin’ T@/rget. I’d only attempt low risk methods if there’s something you REALLY want.
W@/m@/rt, unless you’re only occasionally skipping items at self checkout.
Kroh-ger. They’re known to case build.
Stores that have locking carts (this will not apply to every location):
