New to Loss Prevention

[FavreToSharpe]

Me automatically I got an advantage because I look young and soemtimes persumed as a thug. Sometimes you just got to act like a customer act the way you would act when your in the store with your friends not on the clock Understand??

Hmmm - could you be the young guy in Kroger whom I "detected" one time? This guy looked young, very much of the "hip-hop generation", and he was talking on a cell phone as he happened to stop behind me in the frozen foods aisle (and linger around me). Later on (the store was near empty, I think) - he just happened to show up right behind me in the check out line. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see that he was very observant of me for a regular "customer". Both he and the Kroger employee bagging my items had a good time checking me out, I noticed. Then, when all the items were bagged and the transaction was done - the check-out clerk made a mistake that outted the young boy as LP (as if I didn't already know; I guess they thought I wasn't paying any attention, but I actually was. ;) ). Instead of turning to the boy and immediately starting to ring up his items, the clerk just stood there idly - like he had finished for the day or something. LOL - I guess when the store is nearing closing time and the store is nearly empty - people get lazy and careless (especially when they assume that the customer is clueless, I guess).

[Whats_Ur_Twenty]

LP awareness in stores, be it retail or grocery, is very poor in my experience. I'll be onto a S/L and the store associate will be pointing and laughing at what I'm doing like its a joke. You can only rely on fellow LP, unfortunately I roll solo where I work though.

[newlpguy]

I am also new to the LP type of work. I just applied for a job at a major store and I want to know what to look for in shoplifters. What I have been taught is to look for the guys who keep going back to an item and stuff like that. Also, to look for the people who are trying to sort of "hide" i guess?
like the ones who talk to the associates arent usually lifters because a real shopper wants to know as much as he can about a product before purchasing it right?
is there any other insider tips anyone would give a noob lol?
thanks yall. i appreciate any help i can get because considering the current conditions of employment in this time of financial dismay, i want to keep a steady job.
thank you all again

[SPM]

Have you ever watched someone pick up a hot item (razor blades for Mach3s for example) and they just read the package? There you are, watching them for what seems like an hour! And they READ, and READ, and pick up another type of blade and READ that box... and then they end up buying it? All the while, you are going crazy, asking yourself what is so difficult about razor blades (or cold medicine or whatever).

And it happens plenty, right?

What does that tell you? People are dumb.

That, and it's pretty normal to read a box for five minutes and compare it to EVERY OTHER PRODUCT.

So do that. Go down the isle and just read boxes, as if you just don't know what type of cotton swab is better. Get a confused look on your face when you are reading, and get a little irritated sometimes and toss a box back on the shelf. *THAT'S not what I need*

Follow reflections. You can see people in almost any reflective surface. Glass, plastic, even magazine covers sometimes. Once you see the concealment, all you need to do is keep your eyes on them till they exit. Gross body movements is sufficient. If they don't focus right, they will never see you. It's very hard to see the person who is watching you in the wall clock's glass if you don't look at it just right.

etc etc

Oh, and...

One time I was following this guy for what seemed to be FOREVER after he pocketed some products. At one point, I noted he was watching ME. Concerned I was burned, I looked *away* from him, down the isle, then picked up a box of whatever was in front of me (I think it was some pens, IIRC) and I put it in my pocket as I looked his way. I froze like a deer in headlights, then kinda nodded to him as if "hi", then just walked away.

It worked, he saw me "steal" and didn't dump his product. He saw me walk out, he followed me, and I stopped him. I don't think it's the greatest idea to use, but I thought I was AWESOME for coming up with it. It's definitely one of my go-to LP stories.