Being falsely accused of a crime like shoplifting can be confusing and unsettling, and you may not know what to do. How do you fight back against the word of a store manager or security personnel? What kind of evidence can help your case? What are your rights?

Unfortunately, this isn’t just some imaginary “what if” scenario. False shoplifting accusations occur all the time.

Case-in-point? Last year, a 12-year-old girl and her 13-year-old friend were falsely accused of [...]

You’re walking around a store to kill some time while you wait for friends. When you get a text that they’re ready, you head for the exit. Before you can get there though, a big security guard steps into your path and says you have to come with him.

When you ask why and shake your head, he grabs you and pulls you into a back office where a woman who appears to be a manager sits. They tell [...]

Back to school shopping is expensive. Even with stores everywhere touting huge sales to help parents get their kids ready for the new school year, the cost can be prohibitive.

Recently, a Bedford Park woman took matters into her own hands by attempting to steal 90 back to school items from the local Walmart. She probably thought that it was no big deal, and may have even believed her choice justified.

But it wasn’t long before she discovered [...]

Do you remember being a teenager, shopping in a department store with your friends and being followed around by employees? Maybe you were accused of stealing or asked to leave.

This interaction is not uncommon, and has negative consequences for both customers and the store. Customers who are stereotyped as shoplifters are often discouraged from shopping at the store again – it’s not fun to be labeled as a criminal because of your age or appearance.

Moreover, the [...]