‘Banana trick shoplifter’ arrested after scanning through almost $1,200 worth of liquor as fruit
A SHOPLIFTER has been arrested for using the so-called banana trick to steal $1,200 worth of alcohol at self-checkout.
The suspect was hit with a felony charge after stealing from the same store on two separate occasions, police say.
Eugene Moore, 41, was arrested in St Louis County, , on Wednesday for theft of over $750 in merchandise, a class D felony, per .
Court documents allege that he visited a Schnucks supermarket on two separate occasions and placed various bottles of liquor in a shopping cart.
He covered them with a jacket and went through self-checkout, where he purchased a bunch of bananas.
He allegedly stole $1,193 in merchandise on two trips to the store.
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Moore paid for the bananas with his debit card, which was later used to identify him.
He was summoned to appear in court on November 13, where he'll answer to his charge.
The is a harmful new trend in shoplifting, used mostly at self-checkout stations.
The tactic consists of ringing up a cheap item, like fruit, at the checkout stall and walking off with a pricey product without paying for it.
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Self-checkout theft has become increasingly popular over the past few years with having to rethink their practices in order to deal with the theft.
and have been trying to devise new tools to prevent it, with Walmart incorporating a hybrid version of self-checkout.
Kroger shops added more security cameras and have started incorporating AI tech.
“We are implementing initiatives to mitigate the financial impact, including increased security and new technology solutions,” CFO.
“But we expect shrink [product loss] trends will continue to be a challenge for the remainder of the year.”
Stores like have many items that are often stolen behind glass or plastic, requiring customers to ask employees to grab items for them.
The experience has proved to be frustrating for many shoppers, who have to spend more time waiting around to purchase items like body wash, toothpaste, and deodorant.