People are being warned about a "shoplifting to order" trick being used by thieves to steal from shoppers.
This is where criminals are given a "shopping list" of the exact items they should steal from a certain shop or supermarket. Items such as jewellery, underwear and branded goods are among the popular items people will ask to be stolen from the country’s stores this Christmas, as well as smaller concealable items including expensive food and drink items such as cheese or spirits.
Figures have found that shoplifting offences have risen by more than a fifth in 2022 compared to 2021, and it is said a big reason for the increase will be ‘steal-to-order’ activities, which are predicted to surge this Christmas. Security firm, Kingdom Security, has warned people to be vigilant.
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Iain Murphy, director of Major Bids at Kingdom, says people need to be vigilant on social media groups, in stores and wherever else they are buying goods to make sure they are not allowing criminals to profit, reports Birmingham Live. "As a security firm, we will be cracking down hard on people who seek to profit through ‘shoplifting-to-order’,” he said.
“We will not hesitate to hand over details of those who do this to the relevant local authorities. We would ask those who are purchasing items via social media or through third parties who you may not know, to be mindful if the product or item may have come from ‘shoplifting-to-order’. You could be taking part in criminal activity and be left out of pocket this Christmas.
"Additionally, if anyone turns up at your door, messages you online or contacts you in some other way offering to get you goods for discounted rates or for free, take note of what’s been said and who’s been in contact with you and report it to the relevant authorities."
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