Theft is sadly a lucrative crime, representing a $94 billion problem for the American retail industry alone. Unfortunately, it’s a crime you shouldn’t expect to ever go away, so to protect your belongings and businesses, take note of the following 17 items that are stolen most frequently in America.
Packed Meat
It’s nicknamed “meatlifting” and costs stores a huge chunk of their profits. Pre-packaged meat is a popular choice for many shoplifters because it’s typically easy to steal and even easier to sell to consumers, restaurants, or stores that would love to buy meat for cheap.
Razors
The theft of razors is driven by the demand for them, and it’s the cartridges that many thieves love to target. They’re small and easy to hide, and you’d see people casually steal thousands of dollars worth of razor blades from grocery stores just to sell them to another store.
Baby Formula
Baby formula isn’t cheap, and desperate parents will do anything to feed their children, which includes stealing them from stores. Tragically, the New York Post reports that some criminals steal thousands of dollars worth of baby formula to sell to vulnerable parents in a thriving black market.
Cosmetics
Lipstick, mascara, and eyeliners are also very popular items for shoplifters. Cosmetics are small, making them easy to conceal, and they’re in high demand, which means they’re easy to sell to other people, too! Sometimes, people just steal them for personal use or to gift someone else.
Alcohol
While alcoholics will sometimes steal bottles of liquor to feed their vices, much of the shoplifting is for financial gain. There’s a ready market for stolen alcohol, particularly for premium brands that are pretty expensive, and shoplifters won’t pass up a chance to grab them.
Fragrances
Perfumes are also commonly stolen from stores, much to the frustration of manufacturers. In a CNN story, we see how Sephora removed all its fragrances from store shelves, replacing them with tester bottles. Shoppers now need to speak to a member of staff to purchase the real deal, which is locked away from shoplifters!
Batteries
From the lead-acid batteries used in your cars to the regular AA batteries on store shelves, batteries fetch good money for thieves, too. While car batteries are typically stolen to feed an international black market, AA batteries are stolen because they’re small and in regular local demand.
Jewelry
Considering the thriving resale market and high price, it’s no surprise that jewelry is another prime target. Thieves will burgle jewelry from homes, pickpocket it, or even switch jewelry for fake replicas in stores! Even internal staff can’t resist the temptation sometimes, it’s a serious problem.
Smartphones
Always keep an eye on your smartphone when roaming busy streets. Boston University claims that 113 phones are stolen every minute in the US, with iPhones being the primary targets. There’s a busy local and international black market for these gadgets, and it’s quite easy to just factory reset yours for the next buyer.
Purses and Wallets
Your purses and wallets hold a lot of valuables, making them appealing targets for criminals. They’ll pick your pockets, steal purses from restaurant tables, or outright snatch them off your body when the perfect opportunity arises. If you use a designer handbag, then you’re of greater interest to these criminals.
Watches
Even watches have thriving black markets. Luxury-branded watches are particularly enticing to thieves, who see them as small, easily transportable cash grabs. Some will even go to the extent of armed robbery to get your watch off you. Don’t assume that a tightly fitted watch will prevent this from happening because it won’t.
Car Mirrors
You probably didn’t expect this to be on this list, but as the New York Post reminds us, organized criminals are now targeting not just your cars but your car mirrors, too. The advanced in-vehicle systems in modern cars, aided by other high-tech technologies, now make for a surprisingly lucrative resale.
Power Tools
High-end power tools typically come with advanced features, durability, and precision, making them valuable in the second-hand market. Worse still, owners typically leave them overnight in vans, garages, or construction sites, making them easy targets. Some power tools are even stolen to facilitate other criminal endeavors.
Copper Wire
Copper wire has always been in high demand due to its superior conductivity, and it has enticing price tags to show for it. Thieves will go to great lengths to get their hands on it, destroying homes, cars, and machinery. The CBC reveals that even power stations aren’t left out!
Cigarettes
Cigarettes have become unaffordable for many people due to taxes driving their prices up, leading many addicts to resort to stealing. Tobacco products are also a target for teens who can’t legally buy them from stores, and some hardened criminals will even hold up stores to steal cigarettes in bulk, driving a thriving black market.
Gift Cards
Stealing gets even more sophisticated when it comes to gift cards. Many criminals take gift cards, steal card numbers and security codes, and reseal them to hide the breach. Then, when activated by an unsuspecting buyer, these scammers drain the card of its worth. Watch out for being approached by gift card scams, too!
Cheese
The most stolen item in America and the world might surprise you: it’s cheese. Everyone knows how expensive cheese can sometimes be, but according to Time, it’s so expensive that thieves will specifically target it, reselling it to other stores in large quantities. Protect your cheddar at all costs!
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