If you were given the chance, would you steal from another person? What if that person were replaced by a machine?
Over the past decade, retailers across the United States have installed thousands of self-checkout machines to reduce labor costs. While these systems promise efficiency, they have also created new and expensive problems.
One of the most significant is theft. From simple tricks to deliberate manipulation, shoppers have found ways to exploit self-checkout systems, costing retailers millions.
The Banana Trick
Voucher Codes Pro, a coupon website, surveyed 2,634 people about their behavior at self-checkout machines. Nearly 20 percent admitted to stealing from an automated checkout at least once. More than half said they did so because they believed they were unlikely to get caught. Several common methods have emerged:
1. The Banana Trick
This involves scanning a costly item using the code for a cheap produce item. A common example is paying for an expensive steak by ringing it up as a banana.
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