Latest news with #selfcheckout
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
San Mateo police warn of self-checkout scam targeting elderly shoppers
Authorities in San Mateo County are warning shoppers on the Peninsula about a scam targeting seniors involving self-checkout at retail stores. On Wednesday, the San Mateo Police Department issued an advisory to residents about the scam, which typically involves suspects working in pairs. The scam has reportedly taken place at stores such as Safeway and Target. During the scam, one of the suspects would begin striking up a conversation with the victim. After building rapport, the suspect would then ask the victim to pay for an item such as essential food, medicine or childcare products. "The first suspect will approach that community member, ask them out of the kindness of their hearts to pay for something like food or baby formula. And while the victim is distracted, another suspect will scan multiple other items, sometimes totaling over $1,000," Officer Andrew Peak said in a video posted by police. Peak also warned the community of a scam involving "jewelry swaps" targeting women. In the second scam, suspects approach victims asking to "bless" them in a religious fashion. During the alleged blessing, police said the suspects would make physical contact with the victim and steal the victim's jewelry without their knowledge. The suspects often use rented vehicles to avoid immediate detection from license plate readers. Anyone who may have been a victim of the scams or who may know family or friends who are victims are being asked to contact San Mateo police.
The Sun
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Very high profile' star stopped by M&S security after being caught eating food without paying
A MYSTERY 'very high profile' celebrity has been called out by Ryan Thomas for an awkward incident in M&S. The former Corrie star appeared on the latest episode of his podcast alongside his brothers, Adam and Scott, discussing everything from train disasters to what kind of underwear they prefer. 4 4 However, during the chat, as the group spoke about the annoyance of self-checkout tills, Ryan shared that he had heard about a star who had been caught red-handed munching on produce in the middle of the store without buying it. "There is somebody that is very high profile, that was walking round M&S - I'm never going to mention their name, but it's a great story," he said. "He was walking around eating the mandarin oranges in M&S and the security guy came up to this person and said 'you can't eat them until you've paid for them'. "And this person said 'oh, i'm so sorry i've never done that before' and he went 'Yes you have... you've been doing it for the last six weeks!' "He went 'how do you know that' and he said 'because we watch you on camera every single week doing the same thing!'" "I can't tell you who, but it's a great story," Ryan concluded, later defending the star to his brothers by saying he was going to pay for them anyway. "I imagine some people don't though," noted Adam, to which Ryan joked it was a "try before you buy" situation. Ryan made sure not to give away anything too revealing about the star, not even using pronouns to identify them as a male or female, or how high profile he actually meant. The trio launched their podcast At Home With The Thomas Bros last month, with all three discussing anything on their minds that week as well as giving insights into their family lives. The launch came after Ryan and Adam landed their biggest gig yet as the host of a new ITV gameshow, 99 To Beat. His daughter, Scarlett, has also launched a career to follow her dad and mum – Corrie star Tina O'Brien – into the spotlight, shooting back at claims she's a nepo baby. Rather than ignore the tag, 16-year-old Scarlett is embracing the tag, and in April declared in a TikTok: "God forbid a girl takes the chances she gets.' She landed her first acting job playing Izzy Charles in BBC drama Waterloo Road at the age of 14, staring alongside her uncle Adam. However, in an exclusive interview with The Sun, Ryan was keen to note that she is making a career on her own merit. 'Everyone thinks she gets a lift up from family, getting on Waterloo Road," he told us. "But she worked damn hard to get that job, and people need to recognise that she's a talented girl – she's up against other people and she's not getting a free ride. 'She has to go through the same process as everyone else – it was between her and somebody else. It wasn't like, 'This is a Thomas, she's going to get this job'.' 4 4
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Lidl is making major change to self-service checkouts in new crackdown – is your local store affected?
LIDL is making a major change to its self-service checkouts in a new crackdown against shoplifters. In a bid to tackle theft, the discount supermarket is trialling cameras that can spot when a shopper fails to scan an item. 2 The "non-scan detection" technology is currently being trialled in two London stores, reports The Grocer. If a shopper doesn't scan an item, the technology can capture the moment and play back footage on the self-checkout screen. An assistant is then required to intervene before the customer can pay for their shopping if the omission isn't corrected. It has not been revealed which two London locations are taking part in the trial. Lidl aren't the only retailer using the technology to crackdown on shoplifting either. Home Bargains uses a similar technology to tackle "skip scanning" - where thieves intentionally avoid paying for particular items at self-checkouts. The retailer has also launched trials in two stores using technology from UK -based SAI (Storewide Active Intelligence) and AI company Everseen, based in Ireland. But it's not yet known who is providing the technology for Lidl. According to Lidl's latest customer privacy notice: "Some of our cameras may also use non-scan detection technologies as part of the checkout process. "Any cameras using non-scan detection technologies are only active at our store checkouts and self-checkouts." It adds: "Any non-scan technologies used on our checkouts and self-checkouts cameras are only used to identify non-scanned items, prevent inventory loss and will always involve human intervention. "All facial images collected as part of our non-scan detection cameras are pixelated and no facial recognition technologies are used." There are currently no plans to roll out the non-scan detection checkouts more widely at this stage. Lidl introduced self-service checkouts in its UK stores in 2017 as part of a broader strategy to enhance customer convenience and streamline the shopping experience. The standard self-checkouts feature an eye-level screen with some playing a message asking whether shoppers have remembered to scan all their items. Tesco has also recently introduced VAR-style replays at self-checkouts after rivals successfully used them to stop brazen thefts. The move is thought to have already cut some self-checkout thefts at Sainsbury's, where the footy ref aid-inspired cameras were quietly introduced last month. Supermarket bosses believe thieves who can see their illegal actions have been caught red-handed are far more likely to pay for them instead. A record 516,971 shoplifting incidents were logged by police in 2024 — up from 429,873 in 2023. Yet only a fifth resulted in a charge, while more than half of the investigations ended with no suspect identified. Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, said the crime is costing firms £2billion a year.
Washington Post
07-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
CVS was so worried about shoplifting that it stole its own soul
I always come back to the CVS, even though the pharmacy feels like the gate for an overbooked flight, and even though the self-checkout kiosk routinely malfunctions and tells me to wait for assistance from an employee who no longer works there because they've been replaced by self-checkout kiosks. I come back not just because it's convenient but because it's relaxing. I like to roam the deserted aisles at night and consider the myriad ways in which the bounty of 21st-century pharmacology might improve my life. What if my hands could truly be moist? Which combination of vitamins might heighten my chances of grasping string theory?
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Walmart Store Has Seen a ‘Huge' Decrease in Shoplifting After Making 1 Major Change
A Walmart in Missouri has seen a significant reduction in shoplifting since removing self-checkout lanes in April 2024 Local police state that calls and arrests to the supercenter have decreased by over half in a year-over-year comparison In an email to PEOPLE, Walmart stated that it currently does not have plans to remove self-checkout options in any other storesA Walmart in Missouri has dealt with significantly less crime after tearing out its self-checkout lanes. In a recent presentation to city officials, Shrewsbury Police Chief Lisa Vargas stated that police calls and arrests at a local Walmart supercenter were down by over half when compared to the same period in the previous year, per local news outlet the Webster-Kirkwood Times. Walmart removed the self-checkout option at the Shrewsbury location in April 2024. Prior to the change, many people were checking themselves out and not paying for items, per the outlet. Vargas stated that in January through May 2024, the Shrewsbury Police Department responded to 1,915 calls — over 25% of which came from the local Walmart. In the same period in 2025, only 11% of calls were regarding issues from the store, per the Times. 'That's a huge change. We really appreciate Walmart taking initiative and removing those self-checkers,' Vargas said during her presentation, per the outlet. PEOPLE reached out to the Shrewsbury Police for comment on Friday, June 20, but did not receive an immediate response. 'We're always looking for ways to innovate in our stores, including the checkout experience,' Charles Crowson, Walmart's Director of Global Affairs, said in an email to PEOPLE. 'Any adjustments are based on varying factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns and business needs in the area,' he continued, adding that Walmart does not have plans to remove self-checkouts from other locations. This isn't the first time that Walmart has implemented changes in an effort to prevent shoplifting. In 2024, the retailer introduced handheld scanners at select locations, which enabled employees to ensure that shoppers were not using old or fake receipts to walk out of stores with unpaid items. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The chain also has been making changes to combat card skimming, which is a tactic used by thieves to steal credit card information by installing official-looking devices over the existing devices at self-checkout stations, per ABC affiliate WSET. Read the original article on People
