Michigan Woman Arrested For Failing To Scan All Items At Walmart Self-Checkout

A woman in Michigan, U.S., has been arrested after allegedly looting some items from a Walmart store by not scanning all of them at the self-checkout, said reports. Charges of first-degree retail fraud are being faced by her after she got arrested on Sept. 29.

According to the police, the 34-year-old woman named TeddyJo Marie Fliam was using the self-checkout at an Alpena County Walmart when loss prevention workers noticed she wasn't scanning every item. Later, she became agitated and denied that she was omitting items when a loss prevention worker confronted her. She then left the store.

The store checked its CCTV footage which revealed that the 34-year-old had stolen items worth more than $1000 by not scanning the merchandise from the self-checkout counter since April this year.

The Alpena County Walmart's loss prevention team has recently begun to crack down on thefts at the self-checkout. The Michigan State Police had also recorded two similar incidents where people were arrested after swapping barcodes while checking out items.

The retail company also used artificial intelligence to prevent self-checkout thefts in 2019 by using cameras to ensure every item in the bag was scanned. As per reports, the Missed Scan Detection, as it is called internally, can monitor both self- and manned checkout stations and report potentially missed scans to an attendant who can investigate.

According to a spokesperson from Walmart, the company was making efforts to ensure the safety of every one of its customers and that constant efforts involving billions of dollars were being put in by the company to prevent and reduce crimes inside the stores and parking lots. He also added that they were constantly investing in people and technology to keep the stores safe.

He said, “Walmart is making a true investment to ensure the safety of our customers and associates.”

“Over the last three years, the company has invested over half a billion dollars in an effort to prevent, reduce and deter crime in our stores and parking lots. We are continuously investing in people, programs, and technology to keep our stores and communities safe,” he added.