Shocker? Rich People Are Stealing from Self-Checkout
Rich people love a five-finger discount. At self-checkout. Over… limes. A new report says 27% of people admit they’ve stolen from the self-checkout. Not accidentally. Not “Oops, that didn’t beep.”…
Eftpos Machine at Self Checkout in a supermarket
Rich people love a five-finger discount. At self-checkout. Over… limes.
A new report says 27% of people admit they’ve stolen from the self-checkout. Not accidentally. Not “Oops, that didn’t beep.” Nope. On purpose.
And here’s the wild part: it’s not people who actually need the help.
It’s rich people.
Household income over $100K? Forty percent of them say, “Oh yeah, I’ve stolen something.” FORTY. Meanwhile only 17% of people making under $50K fess up.
Honestly? This does not surprise me at all. Rich-people entitlement is a whole sport. It’s the “Who’s gonna stop me?” attitude. And the answer is usually: no one.
Because people see a Patagonia jacket and a Rolex and think, “He’s fine.”
Trust me, I’ve witnessed it. Actually—I lived it. Once, at a high-end grocery store, this well-dressed guy in designer sneakers walked in, grabbed a container of guacamole, and just… left. Strolled out like he was picking up dry cleaning. Didn’t pay. Didn’t blink.
Just guac-and-go. Insane.
Also, men steal more than women. Millennials and Gen Z? Big-time self-checkout bandits. Boomers? Only 2%, which honestly just means they’re confused by the machine and stuck asking for help.
Parents with kids at home? They’re the real thieves—44% admit to taking something. Honestly, that one I get. If I had toddlers melting down in the produce aisle, I’d commit crimes too.
And why are people doing this? They gave 10 reasons. Most common: money’s tight and everything costs too much. Fair.
But then it gets spicy. “Prices feel unfair.” “Self-checkout is unpaid labor, so this is my compensation.” “Stores make a ton of money, so it doesn’t really hurt them.” And, of course, the classic: “I won’t get caught.”
Seventeen percent say long lines justify stealing. Fourteen percent say they were once falsely accused, so… revenge theft? Sure. That tracks.
So yeah. Wealthy people are stealing guacamole and limes. And the rest of us are just trying to make the machine stop yelling: “PLEASE PLACE ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA.”
