Woman Allegedly Used Self-Checkout To Steal Groceries for Months
(ConservativeHub.com) – Years ago, various stores began allowing customers to scan and pay for their own purchases. While merchants provide some human oversight and technological safety measures in these self-checkout aisles, it’s difficult to prevent theft entirely. One Walmart recently caught a woman swiping multiple items repeatedly using the business’ self-checkout system.
Starting in April, TeddyJo Marie Fliam allegedly skipped scanning items while using the self-checkout at the Alpena County Walmart. The store’s prevention team discovered the months-long fraud after a worker who watched her firsthand confronted the shopper about the issue, something Fliam denied at the store.
The resulting investigation revealed the 34-year-old stole more than $1,000 of merchandise over the past few months. Authorities arrested the woman in September and charged her with first-degree retail fraud.
Michigan woman arrested for failing to scan all items at Walmart self-checkout https://t.co/ySVSFsMuOa
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 24, 2022
A few years ago, Walmart implemented computer vision technology at over 1,000 stores to reduce errors when shoppers walk themselves through the purchasing process. The retailer hoped the program, called Missed Scan Detection, would assist in loss prevention and alert workers to those trying to cheat the system.
Theft remains an ongoing concern that Walmart employees continue to watch out for. Unfortunately, there have been cases in the past where the self-checkout method has led to some awkward situations. Earlier this year, Tucson outlet KGUN 9 reported that one woman in her 60s got cited for petty theft at the local Walmart after she forgot to scan a few items she bought. Reportedly, the same thing happened to multiple people who visited that same Walmart.
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