A woman in Michigan, US, has been arrested after allegedly looting some items from a Walmart store by not scanning all of them at the self-checkout, as reported by Fox News. She is currently facing charges of first-degree retail fraud after her arrest on September 29.
According to the police, the 34-year-old woman named TeddyJo Marie Fliam was using the self-checkout at an Alpena County Walmart when loss prevention workers noticed she wasn't scanning every item. Later, she became agitated and denied that she was omitting items when a loss prevention worker confronted her. She then left the store, according to a report from Fox News.
The store checked its CCTV footage which revealed that the 34-year-old had stolen items worth more than $1000 by not scanning the merchandise from the self-checkout counter since April this year.
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As per The New York Post, the Alpena County Walmart's loss prevention team has recently begun to crack down on thefts at the self-checkout. The Michigan State Police had also recorded two similar incidents where people were arrested after swapping barcodes while checking out items.
The retail company also used artificial intelligence to prevent self-checkout thefts in 2019 by using cameras to ensure every item in the bag was scanned. As per reports, the Missed Scan Detection, as it is called internally, can monitor both self- and manned checkout stations and reports potential missed scans to an attendant who can investigate.
"Walmart is making a true investment to ensure the safety of our customers and associates," a Walmart spokesperson told Fox News at the time. The retail giant also added that they had invest half a billion dollars to prevent, reduce and deter crime in the stores and parking area. "We are continuously investing in people, programs and technology to keep our stores and communities safe," they further added.
