Since the appearance of the first supermarket, shoplifting has become a kind of national pastime, a dream for kleptomaniacs and a stress reliever for clerks in many countries around the world.

Having rummaged around on the Internet, it is not difficult to find a lot of advice from “experienced” and not so fans of thefts in supermarkets. They will tell you what it costs, how to take it, where to hide it and how to take it out. However, it is not a fact that what they say will be true. Firstly, people tend to lie, and on the Internet this desire increases tenfold. Secondly, representatives of the security services of shopping centers also know how to read and use the Internet, and accordingly, take new security measures.

Of all the Nikolaev supermarkets, METRO was chosen as the “victim”. Firstly, for a good security system. Without presenting the buyer’s “passport” with full name, telephone number, address and other data, you will not be able to enter the shopping center. That is, you immediately put yourself under the hood of the local security service. Video cameras on the ceiling, “flashing lights” at the entrance that detect anything unpaid in your pockets, and security guards on duty at the entrance, patrolling the hall and glaring at potential intruders. The uniform chosen for the experiment was standard - the “ordinary gopnik” style - a black puffer jacket, a black cap, ten out of ten of them in the crowd.

So, task number one. What to take? Either something small or small soft. In general, something that you can hide on yourself. For example, a jacket or sweater, in the cold season - they can be worn under your outerwear.

Problem number two. How to hide? Cameras on the ceiling, guards and other personnel. A safe place is the locker room (there are no cameras there). Two or three sweaters in your hands, like trying on, you put on a jacket under your clothes, as long as it doesn’t stick out. An annoying misunderstanding - a plastic piece of junk attached to the product with a metal rivet. It's not easy to break with your hands. So any serious kleptomaniac must have wire cutters with him.

Problem number three. How to get out? In any case, the way out is through the cash register. You can buy something and smile at the saleswoman, or you can make a face like a brick: “You don’t have anything suitable.” It won't make much difference. Because further your path lies through the “flashing light”.

According to the Met’s “SBshnikov” themselves, every third buyer is trying to steal something. In order not to turn into a “horror flying on the wings of the night”, where every third person is grabbed and dragged into dungeons, METRO prefers to allow citizens to steal every little thing not exceeding 100 or 200 hryvnia. If you hide a spoon, socks or a notebook in your pocket, they may not notice it, and the “flashing light” on them won’t ring, unless, of course, you bothered to remove the plastic piece. But things worth about a thousand are equipped with several degrees of protection. For example, clothing is equipped not only with a plastic rivet, but also with an additional label with the inscription “Remove before use!”, to which the “flashing light” also reacts.

Problem number four. What to do if you get caught? You can, of course, run. And even run away. They may not even chase you, limiting themselves to shouting “Stop the thief!” As the SB officers themselves say, they know the old trick, when one attacker distracts the guards in pursuit of himself, and the other, who is carrying the real loot, calmly follows.

And there is no point in escaping. If you left the receipt in the cart, you will be tracked down in a minute. If you haven't left it - after 10 minutes. Thanks to the METRO “passport” system, it is enough to view the recording of the voyage through the shopping center and record the time when the buyer’s card was marked. Then it’s a matter of technique, unless, of course, the card itself is stolen.

Let's say you ran away. In no more than forty minutes a call will follow, fortunately everyone has a mobile phone, and you will be politely invited to a conversation. If you don’t want less pleasant people in uniform to come for you, go, they won’t eat you.

And it’s even better and calmer not to run anywhere, but to figure it out immediately on the spot. The security service of any supermarket is not a law enforcement agency, and from the point of view of the law, its employees are citizens just like you, so they cannot beat you, insult you, or take your things as collateral. They themselves know this very well, so further the entire conflict will occur in verbal form.

There are two people “pressing” - the head of the security service and the head of security. One persuades, the other threatens. One shames me, the other promises to take me away in handcuffs and take me straight to Kolyma. They shame in a variety of ways, they work with sparkle, with invention. It is clear that a person who has shown himself to be an “unscrupulous customer” will have his meter cards blocked forever, but the SB officers present this as a tragedy on a universal scale - you not only quarreled with the supermarket, but in fact the whole family was deprived of food, and there is no other supermarket in the city where you are more they will never let you in.

An educational conversation is essentially the worst thing that threatens you if you are ready to return the stolen property quickly and in good condition. Of course, if this is not your first attempt, then you can’t vouch for anything.

Supermarket management, as a rule, is not interested in stirring up a scandal. Considering the number of people who want to profit, they would have to practice law instead of trading. However, theft is theft, and in any case this matter remains illegal and, accordingly, criminally punishable.

As soon as one Jew stole some 50 billion from his friends and partners (the overwhelming majority were Jews), immediately, immediately on the Internet, many blogs and chat rooms blossomed with stereotypical fables about Jews and money, repeating the old slander that our laws , supposedly, allow you to deceive others while otherwise leading a righteous lifestyle.

Nothing could be further from the truth than this statement. In fact, Jewish law teaches us that how we deal with others is perhaps the most important aspect of our relationship with our Creator. This idea is expressed both in Jewish dogma and in individual examples almost from the time of the Creation of the World.

Here is a small selection of such teachings and stories.

4100 years ago

People were so mired in sins that the Almighty had no choice but to erase the entire world and start all over again with Noah and his sons. What kind of sins did this generation have? The Torah says: “And the earth was corrupted before the Almighty, and the earth was filled with robbery.” The Talmud says that, despite all their many sins, the sentence was signed because they were engaged in robbery. Several centuries later, the descendants of Noah built a tower “with its head to heaven” to fight the Creator. What did the Almighty do? How many did He destroy? No one. He simply scattered them all over the earth. As the sages explain, despite the fact that people dared to plot against G-d, they acted harmoniously and together. In contrast, “the people of the generation of the Flood were engaged in robbery, enmity reigned between them, for which they were destroyed.”

3700 years ago

Abraham and Sarah came to Canaan with their nephew Lot. After some time, a quarrel arose between the shepherds of Abraham and Lot. What caused the discord? Midrash Rabbah sheds light on this: Lot's shepherds grazed sheep in other people's pastures, and Abraham's shepherds, having caught them in this, accused them of theft.

3300 years ago

Seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai to receive the Covenant of the Most High. Of the 613 commandments, He chose 10 to personally proclaim to the people. Five of the ten commandments concern relationships between people, and three of them talk about the need to live honestly: do not steal, do not bear false witness, and do not covet other people's property. And this sets the tone for all times.

2900 years ago

King David wrote: “Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, and who will stand in His holy abode? He whose hands are pure and whose heart is immaculate; whose soul was not directed towards lies, who does not swear false oaths.”

2600 years ago

The Almighty reproaches the Jews for the way they fast: “Every day they seek Me and want to know My ways... “Why do we fast, but You don’t see?” they ask. “We humble our souls, but You don’t know?” Behold, on the day of your fast you seek your own gain and collect by force from all your debtors. Behold, you fast for quarrels and strife and in order to beat others with a bold hand...” Yeshayahu teaches the Jews how to fast: “Loose the chains of unrighteousness, untie the bonds of the yoke, and set the oppressed free, and break every yoke. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the wandering poor into your home. When you see the naked, clothe him... Then you will call, and the Almighty will hear, you will cry, and He will say: “Here am I!”... And God will always be your leader, and will fill your soul with light..."

2,000 years ago

A non-Jew came to the sage Hillel with a question: “I want to accept the Jewish faith, but only on the condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one leg.” “What you don’t wish for yourself, don’t do to others,” Hillel answered. “And everything else is comments.” The same principle is reflected in the teaching of Rabbi Yosi: “Let your neighbor’s property be as dear to you as your own. Prepare yourself to study Torah...” That is, first we must learn to respect the property of other people, and only after that We will be able to get closer to G‑d and the study of His Torah.

1900 years ago

One of the "ten holy martyrs" was the great sage Rabbi Hanina ben Tradion. The Romans, on pain of death, forbade Jews to study Torah, but Rabbi Hanina continued to gather students and teach them Jewish law. Ultimately, he was captured right during the next lesson and burned alive. Shortly before his arrest, Rabbi Hanina visited his friend Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma, to whom he asked the question: “Will I be worthy of inheritance in the world to come?” Rabbi Yossi asked Rabbi Hanina if he had done anything special in his life. Rabbi Hanina said that one day he had two wallets. He intended to donate money from one wallet to charity, and from the second to spend on holiday purchases. He later discovered that he had mistakenly donated the wrong wallet to charity. Although he could have reimbursed himself for this money from the second purse, Rabbi Hanina chose to give it to the poor as well. “In that case,” said Rabbi Yossi, “may my lot in the next world be like yours.”

This behavior really comes as a surprise. Rabbi Yosi knew very well that Rabbi Hanina devoted his entire life to fulfilling the commandments and studying the Torah (despite the danger that threatened him). However, he gave his answer only after he was convinced that Rabbi Hanina also behaved honestly in everything that related to public money!

1700 years ago

Rabba, one of the greatest sages of the Talmud, taught that when a person's soul ascends to Heaven, the very first question he is asked is: “Have you conducted your affairs honestly?”

1000 years ago

Rabbeinu Gershom, the Light of Exile, forbade opening letters addressed to other people. A thousand years before the human rights movement began, rabbis understood the importance of individual rights and the need to be as honest as possible in absolutely everything.

700 years ago

Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, also known as Baal Athurim, divided all the laws of Judaism into four parts. This structure became the basis of the body of Jewish Law. One of the sections, Choshen Mishpat, is entirely devoted to laws relating to relationships between people and all kinds of aspects of honest business.

70 years ago

The Lubavitcher Rebbe published the Hayom Yom calendar, containing Hasidic sayings for each day of the year. For Day 8, the Ava Rebbe writes the following: “What is the use of Hasidic learning and fear of God if the most important thing is missing - love for one’s neighbor! Or, God forbid, even worse, suffering is caused to others.”

And anyone who thinks otherwise simply slept through all their years in Jewish school.

Researchers have somehow calculated that shoplifting occurs every 5 seconds around the world. Moreover, with the advent of the supermarket format and self-service retail outlets, this has become much easier. Even despite video cameras, magnetic frames and other means of protection, stores still continue to record shortages.

What is theft?

Shoplifting is common. However, to hold a person accountable, you need to understand the legal terminology. So, according to the Criminal Code, the following actions can be recognized as theft:

• theft by a person of someone else's property in full confidence that he is acting secretly and not noticed by other persons;
• theft of someone else's property in the presence of other persons who are not aware of this fact;
• during the seizure of someone else's property, the actions of the attacker were detected, but this fact did not stop him (this can also be qualified as robbery);
• the theft is committed in the presence of other persons who understand the essence of the attacker’s actions, but the latter is confident in their consent.

Common Schemes

Large or petty shoplifting is the most common type of crime not only in domestic practice, but throughout the world. In order to effectively combat this phenomenon, you need to understand what exactly to fight. It is worth highlighting the four most common schemes:

• Damage to goods. Typically, this form of shoplifting occurs. For example, buyers often eat bulk goods, they may open a pack of juice, a bag of chips, and so on. Such actions not only cause material damage to the store, but also harm its reputation. No one will be pleased to buy something in a supermarket whose shelves are filled with torn or empty packaging.
• Theft of goods (that is, taking them outside the store). In this case, we can identify unprofessional thieves, as well as experienced “masters of their craft.” The first ones usually hide their “prey” in their pockets or under their clothes. The latter, in addition to the indicated method, can actively use magnetic signal suppressors and secret pockets. They can also involve children in this.
• Preliminary agreement with the cashier. The bottom line is that the store employee deliberately does not check out all the goods at the checkout. This is the simplest option. Fraud with bank cards or returned goods may also occur. Theft in collusion with a cashier causes significant damage to the store.
• Substitution of goods. This means that a more expensive product can be transferred into packaging from a cheaper one. Label re-taping may also occur. If there is a self-service system, an attacker can stick the price tag of a cheap one on an expensive product. But the cashier does not always notice this, especially during hard work.
• Open robbery. This is the direct removal of goods or funds from a trading establishment by threatening the life and health of workers. As a rule, the attacker threatens with a weapon. For such an act the most serious punishment is provided, including imprisonment.

Shoplifting: Punishment

Shoplifting is such a common occurrence that many people do not even think about the possible consequences when taking this step. However, shoplifting is a serious crime. The punishment for it may be as follows:

• The minimum penalty provided for by the Criminal Code is a fine of 80,000 rubles. At the same time, only theft of property worth more than 1,000 rubles (at cost) is subject to criminal prosecution. Otherwise, the offense is considered administrative.
• The attacker must reimburse the store for the purchase price of the stolen goods five times the amount, but not less than 1,000 rubles.
• If the attacker was caught leaving the store and did not have time to dispose of the stolen item (that is, it was seized safely), the punishment (fine or imprisonment) cannot exceed three quarters of the norm established by law.
• Imprisonment in the case of major theft, the fact of which has been proven, as well as in the case of established conspiracy with third parties.

Although shoplifting is common, it rarely ends up in court proceedings. As a rule, security and store management agree that the attacker will return the stolen goods or reimburse their cost if they were damaged. They treat pensioners and minors especially leniently.

Theft of minors: punishment

Minors are often caught stealing from shops and supermarkets. The following penalties may apply to them:

• Re-education. Children from 11 years of age may be placed in correctional institutions for this purpose.
• Fine. Since children do not have their own sources of income, this responsibility is shifted to their parents or guardians.
• Correctional work. Children 14-15 years old cannot be involved for more than 2 hours a day, and 15-16 years old - up to 3 hours a day. In this case, work is carried out in free time from studies.
• Deprivation of liberty. Possibly from the age of 16.

How to identify a thief?

Frequent theft in self-service stores is mainly due to the fact that security guards cannot always recognize the thief. The average buyer has an established pattern of behavior. But an attacker may experience the following deviations:

• from the first minutes of being in the store, a person behaves nervously and constantly looks around;
• wanders chaotically around the hall, returning to the same shelves several times;
• Having picked up the goods, the attacker begins to get nervous and look around;
• before hiding the goods, the thief tries to approach other buyers so that the attention of the guards is directed not only to him;
• Having noticed intrusive surveillance, the attacker will most likely abandon his idea and return the goods to their place.

Some more statistics. Out of 10 intruders, only one is caught leaving the store. This is one reason to be extra vigilant. It is advisable to strengthen security in the cold season, when people wear bulky warm clothes in which it is easy to hide stolen goods. Also, the number of observers in the hall should be increased during peak hours after 17:00.

How to deal with shoplifting

The goal of the fight against theft is not to catch the attacker by the hand, but to scare him away from the store. The following protection systems can be used for this:

• Modern video surveillance system. The most effective are dome cameras. But given that this is an expensive pleasure, real equipment can alternate with dummies.
• Anti-theft systems, the most effective of which is acoustomagnetic. It pays off in clothing and cosmetics stores. In grocery retail outlets, radio frequency installations are more often used.
• Effective security. In addition to employees in special uniforms, there should also be “mystery shoppers” in the hall, who should monitor suspicious individuals from the inside without arousing suspicion.

Tricks of shop owners

The charge for shoplifting is quite serious. But if the attacker stole less than 1,000 rubles (and this is the purchase price), he will most likely get off with administrative punishment. And most thieves will not be caught at all. To protect their goods and money, store owners use some tricks:

• the barcode is hidden on the inside of the label so that an attacker cannot erase it;
• training staff on the psychology of an attacker’s behavior so that employees can identify it in advance;
• combating internal theft by establishing fines for shortages and bonuses for catching the attacker.

Theft is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon that causes considerable damage to the owners of commercial enterprises. To minimize the likelihood of a shortage occurring after a visit by attackers, you need to follow these recommendations:

• Employees should greet the buyer politely, offering him assistance in choosing a product. Thus, a person gets the feeling that he is under close attention.
• The store space should be organized so that there is a point from which the entire room is clearly visible. If this is not possible, special mirrors must be installed.
• Particular attention should be paid to customers who wear baggy clothes or carry large bags.
• It is necessary to ensure a clear order of arrangement of goods. This will make it easier for you to notice the shortage and follow up with a suspicious buyer in time.
• Expensive goods should not be located near the exit. The same goes for small things that are easy to hide.
• It is possible that the attention of the seller or security guard may be diverted by the attacker's accomplice. Therefore, there must be a sufficient number of staff in the hall.
• Price tags must be firmly attached to clothing and the packaging must be well sealed. This is necessary in order to eliminate the possibility of substitution.

If you are accused of theft

Sometimes people are faced with such an unpleasant situation when they are accused of shoplifting with impunity. In this case, it is important to know your rights. Thus, you are not required to show the contents of your bags to a security guard or any other store employee. Search is a police power. The maximum that store employees can do is to detain you in the store until law enforcement officials arrive. And then, they will only have this right if they have appropriate video evidence. If the police do not prove your guilt in stealing the goods (the search does not yield results), it is likely that the store administration will be forced to pay a fine for a false call.

Evidence of theft

What to do if you are "caught"? Shoplifting must have concrete evidence. So, to bring charges, the security service must provide the following evidence:

• video recording of the moment when the goods were taken and hidden;
• video recording of following a hidden object through the hall;
• the fact that there was no payment for the goods at the checkout.

If your guilt is not proven...

If the buyer was unfairly accused of theft, which was recorded by law enforcement officials, he has every right to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for moral damages from the store. If you were late for a business meeting or were fined at work because you were detained by store employees, you have the right to compensation for lost profits.

Stealing as a hobby

For some people, shoplifting has become something of a hobby or even a sport. This phenomenon was called “Shoplifting” and came to our country from America. Moreover, people do this business not out of poverty or need, but mainly out of sporting interest. There are even online communities of shoplifters, in which participants share experiences, tricks, and photographs of their “booty.”

The philosophy of shoplifters is simple. If stores make money from customers, then why can't it be the other way around? Moreover, shoplifters have calculated that their activities can reduce an entrepreneur’s profit by no more than 1-3%. The fact is that experienced thieves are never greedy. The main rule is not to take out goods worth more than 1000 rubles. This is in case you get caught. After all, theft over 1000 rubles is considered major.

But the majority of people we encounter are newcomers or shoplifters, blinded by previous successes. Real “professionals” develop their own tactics and even take advantage of the achievements of modern espionage technology. These could be jammers or receivers that can intercept the frequency of security radios, bags with a reflective coating against magnetic frames, and much more.

Conclusion

Many people don’t even know what punishment for shoplifting is provided for by law, because in most cases the thefts are never solved, and if security guards catch the intruders, then everything is limited to the return of goods or money. To reduce losses from theft, owners of commercial enterprises continue to try to improve their security systems.

Is the property of disbelievers halal?

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, peace and blessings of Allah be upon our prophet Muhammad, members of his family and all his companions!

Recently, an opinion has emerged among young Muslims that the property of any infidel is permissible, no matter how it was appropriated: through deception, theft, or taken by force.

This statement is a delusion that contradicts the Sharia of Allah Almighty, which belongs to the Kharijites! This is spread mainly by idlers and bandits who are too lazy to work and earn their living in a permitted way in order to justify their actions, or by ignorant Muslims who are misled by those whom they consider knowledgeable.

Those who make such claims are in a very dangerous position, since they allow what is prohibited by Allah, which is disbelief, and also attribute treachery and meanness to Islam.

You should know that in the Sharia of Allah Almighty, the property of infidels is permissible only in two cases:

1. In jihad, during the battle with the infidels.

2. When the land of the infidels is conquered, when all their property comes into the possession of the Muslims.

That's all. As for other cases, the property of infidels is not permissible, since if an infidel is not fighting against Muslims, then an attempt on his life and property is injustice!

Is it possible to steal from infidels?

Let us begin with the permission of Allah with the issue of theft from infidels:

The Sharia of the Almighty prohibits theft, and it is one of the great sins. Allah Almighty said: “Cut off the hands of the thief and the thief as retribution for what they have done. This is the punishment from Allah, for Allah is Mighty, Wise” (al-Maida 5: 38).

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah curse the thief who steals an egg, for which his hand is cut off, and who steals a rope, for which his hand is cut off!” al-Bukhari 6783.

These are general texts of the Koran and Sunnah that prohibit theft, and it does not matter who it was stolen from - a Muslim or an infidel. As for the one who claims that theft is prohibited only in relation to Muslims, he is obliged to give an exclusionary argument! Imam Malik said: “They do not cut off the hand of someone who has stolen wine or a pig. If he stole from an infidel who lives in Muslim land and pays the jizia (dhimmiyah) or from an infidel with whom an agreement (mu'ahad) is concluded, then he should cut off his hand and return their property to them.” See “al-Mudawana” 3/116.

Moreover, on this issue there is a unanimous opinion (ijma’) that for theft, even from an infidel, the hand of a Muslim should be cut off. Imam Ibn Qudamah said: “A Muslim’s hand is cut off for stealing the property of a Muslim or an infidel dhimmiyya. Likewise, the hand of an infidel is cut off for stealing from them. Al-Shafi’i and the Hanafis said this, and we do not know of any contradiction in this.” See al-Mughni 12/351.

Can something for which one's hand is cut off be permitted in Islam?!

Imam al-Qurtubi said: “A Muslim’s hand is cut off for stealing from a dhimmi, and this indicates that the property of a dhimmi is equal to the property of a Muslim, and the same applies to his life!” See “Tafsir al-Qurtubi” 2/248.

Thus, it becomes clear that the prohibition concerns the act itself, like theft, and not the person from whom it was stolen. This is the same as the prohibition on adultery, because it is prohibited in general and it does not matter with whom the adultery is committed - with infidels or Muslims!