Supermarket shopper humiliated after getting caught stealing from self-checkout by AI
Shoplifting at self-checkouts has skyrocketed in recent years, with some sneaky shoppers leave pricey items like alcohol and meat unscanned. Big retailers are fighting back with AI-powered tech, and one TikToker's viral video shows her being hilariou
Self-checkouts first began appearing in Ireland's supermarkets nearly two decades ago. They promised a hassle-free shopping experience and their appeal was instant - a quick scan, bag your items and off you go.
But the reality has proven a bit more complicated. Customers still face queues, and often need assistance with errors or restricted items. There has also been a rise in shoplifting, with data from Cork's Everseen's technology revealing losses at self-checkouts more than doubled in 2023.
To combat the growing issue, some retailers have started deploying AI-powered tools - a trend highlighted by a recent viral TikTok video showing a woman getting caught shoplifting at a self-checkout.
The shopper - known on TikTok as Nesha - filmed herself using Walmart's self-checkout system, where she scanned several items but purposely avoided scanning a bag pack, placing it in her bag without processing the barcode. Despite getting caught by the supermarket's AI-powered cameras - she still shared the video on social media, captioning the clip: “POV: When you usually don’t get caught and now you’re banned for 2 years from all Walmarts in my area.”
READ MORE: Exact date clocks change in Ireland with 5pm sunsets just around the corner
READ MORE: Michael Kors has unbelievable discounts on designer bags in massive pre-Christmas sale
The video, which has garnered almost 3 million views to date, shows the till system lighting up with a notification that reads “associate is on the way,” preventing further scanning. A store employee arrives, and the system displays “missed scan detected,” with footage showing Nesha deliberately skipping the backpack, Irish Star reports.
While the employee laughs in the video, Nesha later revealed that the manager and police were called, leading to her being escorted out of the store. Nesha added in the caption: “Even though she laughed … she called the manager, police and had us escorted outside #stealinggonewrong.”
American retailer Walmart has faced significant theft issues, losing an estimated $3 billion annually, and has responded by introducing a series of anti-shoplifting measures. One key initiative is "missed scan detection," which uses AI-powered cameras to monitor transactions and was first introduced in 2017. Despite these efforts, some areas still see high levels of theft, prompting Walmart to eliminate self-checkouts in certain locations as part of broader efforts to improve the in-store shopping experience.
The technology is part of a $3 million deal with Digimarc. In a statement to The New York Post, a Walmart spokesperson said the company “does not publicly disclose security measures in our stores.”
Meanwhile, Everseen, a Cork-based AI company, reported that the rate of losses from theft and missed scans at self-checkout stations has more than doubled worldwide in 2023. According to its Retail Threat Curve report, cart-based losses - where shoppers leave items in their carts unscanned - now account for 30% of all incidents at self-checkouts. While some of these cases are accidental, Everseen’s analysis found that most were intentional, with customers deliberately leaving expensive items like alcohol or meat unscanned.
Everseen works with supermarket chains around the world, providing video technology to help staff detect theft and missed scans.
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
