A crafty California crook cashes in on self-checkout chaos, scoring a massive $60K haul from a single Target through sly self-scanning scams.
Self-Checkout Scam
You've likely chuckled at those self-checkout memes - the ones where shoppers cheekily scan a banana instead of a flatscreen TV. But for one Northern California woman, those laughable scenarios became a lifestyle choice. Meet self-checkout swindler Aziza Graves.
A $60,000 Run at Target
Over the course of a single year, Graves is accused of pilfering nearly $60,000 worth of goods from a single San Francisco Target through a staggering 120 separate heists! Her method was as simple as it was shameless: Graves would self-scan her loot, insert a small bill or coin into the machine for the haul, and simply waltz out with her ill-gotten gains. There was no big tech heist here. She simply gave them far less money than the goods cost.
The Impact of Retail Theft
While Graves's shoplifting shenanigans may seem like a victimless grift, theft inflicts damage on retailers and consumers alike. According to retail industry sources, "shrinkage" from theft bumps up store prices to recoup losses. What thieves gain, you lose. But we can't put ALL the blame on criminals. The self-checkout kiosks that were meant to save retailers money on human resources were also supposed to pass those savings on down to us - yeah, that never happened. And with lower-skilled labor being automated, more and more folks aren't that sympathetic to big box store losses when they are laying off people for robotic cashiers. Finally, where were the security guards in these situations? Did no one look at the video cameras or at what was happening at the kiosks? I mean, for chrissakes, did no one even think to ask her to see a receipt as they do at many stores on the way out?
Facing the Fallout
Graves now faces a potential 3-year prison stint on a felony grand theft charge and over 50 counts of petty theft. Though we aren't condoning her actions, we have to wonder how this woman gets a 3 year bid for shoplifting while people committing white-collar tax fraud for millions get a few months tops in most cases. Prosecutors hope her sentence sends a stern message to would-be copycats tempted by self-checkout's inefficiency. We hope Target gets a clue and hires back those cashiers who can ensure this doesn't happen.
