Stores are using self-check-out lanes to accuse shoppers of theft said an attorney. The lawyer warned on social media that using self-serve checkout could land an individual in jail for stealing. Innocent customers are being accused of theft as stores use security footage at the register, said Carrie Jernigan, attorney and influencer with more than 1.2 million followers on TikTok.
“As a criminal defense attorney, I advise most people to steer clear of self-checkout,” informed Jernigan in a video that has gone viral.
Shoplifting using self-checkout has three groups of people that are targeted for theft, says the attorney.
Those “with the intent to steal” is the first group. Although theft is still possible, cameras and weight sensors have made walking away with unpaid merchandise more difficult.
“Theft- by-mistake” is the second most common group to be accused of stealing. “These are the people that I genuinely think just forgot to scan an item,” “So they will begin watching hours of video to see the last person who checked out with the Mario Lego set because they’re two short or an Xbox game. And, for some reason, they pinpoint that they think you did it,”
For larger purchases, Jernigan urged people to pay with their credit cards and to keep a receipt for purchase items.
