I did something awful today, shoplifting some cheap items, only around 5.00 worth. The problem is that I used my debit card to make a purchase for something else. The transaction didn't go through as the card was declined. It it possible to be identified for this? Is there anything these people can do, and if so, what kind of penalty am I looking at, and what are my options?

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by robson

I did something awful today, shoplifting some cheap items, only around 5.00 worth. The problem is that I used my debit card to make a purchase for something else. The transaction didn't go through as the card was declined. It it possible to be identified for this? Is there anything these people can do, and if so, what kind of penalty am I looking at, and what are my options?

Thanks.

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Where?

Depending on the store, yes, they can access your credit card info. They may or may not know you shoplifted. They may or may not be interested when it's $5.00.

If you left the store and weren't stopped you are probably all right.

I was in retail security in Maryland for 13 years and I can guarantee you that a store is not going to charge you with shoplifting unless they see you take an item from a display and walk out without paying for it. They are too afraid of lawsuits and a lot of shoplifters walk because of these restrictions.

Of course they may have you on video and be abe to use the atm card to find you. So I would say you will not know for a few weeks for sure

If they didn't recover the items you stole, I seriously doubt they would come after you at all. Physical evidence is very important in such cases. For that reason a video camera is used to arrest people at the time of the offense, and the stolen merchandise is recovered, marked, and held as evidence. I have never heard of a video being used to charge someone at a later date in a minor shoplifting case where the merchandise was not recovered.

Being charged by a store is not like being charged by the police. The police can arrest a person if they have probable cause to believe a crime has been committed by a certain person. A store will not do this. They will not charge unless they are certain that they can make a case beyond a reasonable doubt, because of the fear of lawsuits I mentioned above.