About me

Before you jumped in I figured I would let those who are interested know a little about me and

the time spent before this book was created. I am Ampix0, a college student/amateur
photographer/programmer/graphic designer. I have been interested in anti-security my entire life, or at
least as long as I can remember. I know when I was in the 7th or 8th grade I had just found how to use
Trojan virus programs to hack into peoples computers and thought I was the coolest badass on the
planet. Ever since then I didnt like Hacking so much as I liked the technology behind it, or the
challenge it was to make your stuff undetectable to antivirus. So now-a-days I do not condone hacking
or stealing, or shoplifting, or anything like that. However I do LOVE solving the puzzle, and owning
devices that most people dont know about. What little kid didnt want to be a master with lock picks
after seeing it done on Scooby Doo! That doesnt mean little kids want to rob a bank, it means its an
interesting topic.
So then I thought to myself one day, wow I really need some money so I wrote a pretty crappy
(to my standards) 18 page book on shoplifting from what I had learned at my job and lots of research
and sold it on a popular forum. Even though it didnt sell too well, I was getting a lot of cool research and
I completely rewrote the book in a much better format, with much better spelling and grammar. Then I
thought to myself, Maybe I should sell this on a dedicated website! and that is what I started to do.
While looking for web scripts to sell a single eBook I didnt find much; but I did find lots of full
store scripts. So I thought about it, and here I am now with a full online store and a few hundred dollars
less. Only luck and time will tell

Dear Pirates

Dear pirates who obtained this book through means that did not involve buying it

from www.CommonThief.com. I hope that if you enjoy the book you come back to the website and
consider buying it to gain forum access and coupons for other products, or maybe when available you
would like a hard copy. As you can see, I sell the PDF version of this book and there was really no
protection put into the distribution of the book. I am aware this will be given out and passed around and
I dont think I would stop that if I could. DRM and censorship ruins great work and drives up costs, so I
refuse to protect my work.
I too am a pirate all I ask is if you genuinely enjoy this book, you come back to support the
author (me); who is not some big corporation, not some old guy sitting in his mansion, no, a college
student who is sitting at his computer trying to make ends meet.
One thing I will not tolerate is seeing this book for sale anywhere else. You may not gain profit
from my work. That will be the only time that I will get the law involved and I will. Also, please do not
copy material from this book and post it out of context online in a forum or article, especially without
giving credit, leave the information together in this book.
Read this popular Gizmodo article.
A Pirates Code of Conduct for BitTorrent
http://gizmodo.com/5202399/a-pirates-code-of-conduct-for-bittorrent

Table of Contents
Why Are Criminals Caught? .......................................................................................................................... 5
Require no help ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Lone Wolf .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Profiling and clothing ................................................................................................................................ 6
Speeding.................................................................................................................................................... 6
In short ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
The Law and Your Rights ............................................................................................................................... 7
Have money .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Tools dangerous ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Security has the right to search ................................................................................................................ 8
It isnt stolen until you leave ..................................................................................................................... 8
Your time is valuable ................................................................................................................................. 9
Know the Security Locks ............................................................................................................................... 9
Media Boxes .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Removing media boxes ........................................................................................................................... 12
Clothing Tags ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Removing the clothing tag .................................................................................................................. 13
Sensormatic detacher arm .................................................................................................................. 14
Leaving with the tag on ....................................................................................................................... 16
Milli-Tag (clothing) .................................................................................................................................. 16
3

Soft AM tags ............................................................................................................................................ 17

Schemes ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
The White House scam ........................................................................................................................... 18
The complication................................................................................................................................. 18
The Sticky Bag ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Parking Lot Plunder ................................................................................................................................. 19
Counterfeit manufacturer coupons ........................................................................................................ 20
Barcode Swap.......................................................................................................................................... 21
Mall clothing store heists ........................................................................................................................ 22
Numbered Items Stall ......................................................................................................................... 22
Locked Stall ......................................................................................................................................... 23
Relax .................................................................................................................................................... 23
Knock-off switch...................................................................................................................................... 23
Put it on his Visa ...................................................................................................................................... 23
Radio hacking, surveillance and distraction................................................................................................ 25
Walkie-Talkie frequencies ....................................................................................................................... 26
Dialed in .................................................................................................................................................. 27
Random Tips and Tricks .............................................................................................................................. 28
Take a penny leave a penny .................................................................................................................... 28
Requesting permission to abort! ............................................................................................................ 28

A knock at the door ................................................................................................................................. 28

Drop your weapon! ................................................................................................................................. 29
Blister packs ............................................................................................................................................ 29
Get away van........................................................................................................................................... 29

Why Are Criminals Caught?

Talking about most people who are caught stealing (meaning, not criminals; just a person
stealing) you can notice some similar characteristics. If you display any of the following conditions you
can expect to be caught.

Require no help
These people will most likely be waiting around but do not want help. They talk on the phone,
they immediately turn down an offer for help from an associate or even more so, they run away from
associates. Their nerves are their downfall. A real criminal has nerves of steel and act completely
normal. A criminal should be relaxed. Do not be afraid to ask a sales person about a product. When you
walk into a department it is likely a sales person comes right up to you to talk, it is actually a technique
partly used to make shoplifters feel discouraged and feel like the staff is really paying attention (when
really they have to greet you when you enter their department).
If the customer is too busy to ask for help or turns down an offer for help the sales associate
will most likely return to the customer to see if they would like help afterwards or, if they were busy
before (like on the phone) they will give another shot at helping afterwards. If you would like to make
sure the sales associates do not watch or bother you, ask for some help, get questions answered and

then say something like Alright that is all I wanted to know, thank you. Ill text my wife about it. The
associate now knows there will be some time before your wife answers you and you no longer have
questions, they shouldnt bother you again.

Lone Wolf
Most thieves caught are alone; they dont have anyone to help them with the situation, looking
out, helping to conceal items, general purpose help. Most people who are caught are clueless to their
surroundings, they are nervous, alone and their focus is only in one place and one place only. If you (the
criminal) find yourself alone simply take a sweep of the area and see where cameras and people are and
be aware of your surroundings and passively obtain your object.

Profiling and clothing

You do not want to stand out. Do not have colored hair or something that makes you abnormal.
Management is looking for baggy pants, loose fitting is ok. Security may watch you simply because you
are wearing your pants low and baggy. They dont care if that is your style its a possible threat. Girls,
dont try and look all cute and sexy, this is not the time you want people to be checking you out.
On a side note, if you go with a partner and the both of you are under the age of say 18 and
dressed like gangsters, just get up and leave. You need to look like a conformist. No one has to be fair in
this situation. If you are a minority in your community you are most likely being watched just for that
fact.

Speeding
Mostly in larger crimes but, the number one way criminals are caught, is speeding. All too often
has a criminal gotten away from the crime scene before the cops, quite often criminals pass the cops on
6

their way to the crime scene to respond. The reason a clean get a way is not made is because the
criminal is pulled over for something else; speeding. Again we are back to the fact that if you are
abnormal, you stand out.

In short
Abnormality is the death of a would-be criminal. All the small things that make you stand out
will cause you to be caught. Dont be nervous, shy, or wear outrageous clothing. Look the part, a fine
upstanding citizen normally doesnt have their face covered in piercings and tattoos, so neither should
you.

The Law and Your Rights

A criminal is a criminal but they have rights that protect them as well as laws that punish them.
If you are a thief looking to shopping in a store, there are some things you should keep in mind.

Have money
If you are caught stealing and authorities also find out you never had any money when you
entered the store to begin with you can be charged with burglary as well as theft. If you argue it was a
spontaneous decision and you did not go into the building with the intent of stealing, it is merely theft. It
is much harder to argue you didnt intend on stealing if you went all the way to some store with no
money and tried to take something.

Tools dangerous
Later on we will be going over tools and modified shopping bags that can aid in the shoplifting
process and make it easier for you or a thief to leave the store with items you have paid for. However

beware of shoplifting tools; if caught with some special device thought to be used in the aid of
shoplifting you can be charged with Theft and Equipped to steal.

Security has the right to search

Store security can search you, a cop cannot. You are protected by the fourth amendment where
a police officer cannot search your person without probable cause (a bulge sticking out from your shirt);
however when you enter a store you accept their store policy which is most often listed right at the
entrance. It wouldnt be a bad idea to give it a read. However you can refuse a search by the security
officer but that can give a police officer probable cause to search you.
What the store cannot do is violate your privacy. Store security may ask to look in your bag or
purse (you can refuse however they will send the authorities after you) and they can, what they cannot
do is display your personal items publicly, or invade privacy; for instance, if you are asked to hand over
your cellphone and the security guard reads your text messages, you can now sue the store.

It isnt stolen until you leave

You may place an item in your purse, bag, or pocket or any other rational place and it is not
stolen until you leave the store. If security stops you and tries to charge you because you have
something valuable of theirs in your pocket, they cant do anything until you leave. However some
stores may choose to stop you if you pass the registers on your way to the door. Many stores policies
state they will not even tell you if they know you shoplifted. They will simply report it to the police with
every detail and bit of evidence they can get. They may try to scare you off from stealing something or
kick you out of the store but if they know you have stolen something already they will nine times out of
ten watch you get into your car on camera and give your license plate to a police officer who can then
later question you. If its on camera, you are busted. So getting some exercise on a bike and parking a
few blocks away is not a bad idea.
8

Your time is valuable

If for some reason you are caught in the act and the store holds you for an excessive amount of
time (which is determined in court) to wait for law enforcement to arrive, the store can be sued for false
imprisonment. This is something that is hard to argue but you might be able to use it in your defense. It
is best used when for example, maybe you needed to pick up your baby cousin from school and hour
from now and they were stranded at school, you may be granted false imprisonment.

Know the Security Locks

There is a lot to know about security devices and it is almost impossible to name every single
kind of security tag out there; but know that there is an industry standard for how these devices work so
that stores can mix security products, so even if something in this book is missed, you should easily
adapt to the new technology.
Lets take a look at some of the devises stores use to lock and display products on the sales
floor. This section may have the most insider information to teach you. Chances are if you have worked
retail you are familiar with most of these tools and devices, if not I would suggest paying attention.

Media Boxes
I am sure you have seen these plastic boxes before, they are used to lock up small but expensive
items such as: video games, headphones, MP3 players, and other small valuables the store operator
does not want unprotected.

These are produced by Alpha Security and are most criminals worst nightmare or are they?
If you have ever worked retail you already know these can easily be unlocked with this:

http://store.harrygs.com/alpha-detacher-key.html
The Alpha detacher key: useful to have, I would highly recommend having one. These boxes (as
well as most other Alpha products, including Spider wraps) can be opened with a detacher key; you
dont need the official key, but building your own key is a bit of a project. Alpha S3 security has a
training video showing you exactly how these boxes work and how to unlock
them: http://www.alphaworld.com/video-3alarm-Keepers.asp
To create your own you will need to pick up four of these magnets here
Magnets: http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BX084-N52&cat=168
After receiving the magnets you should arrange them in the following arrangement, if you do this right
they will all interlock perfectly.
10

This is essentially the same thing as the real Alpha Security key however, you do lose the lip on
the real key and you can easily hold it upside down. Real keys are hard to find though and very
expensive so it is an option. You can even enclose his in a casing such as a project box from RadioShack
or metal brackets, anything.
There are a lot of training videos on there and it might not be a bad idea to watch a few just so
you have a total understanding of the security features and know what to expect.
The same processes are true of Spider wraps here is an image to quickly familiarize yourself with
them, Alpha Securitys website above will train you on how to officially unlock them. Spider wraps are
actually a little tricky to secure, you may be able to pull these off without unlocking, use some elbow
grease.

Pro tip: Alpha Security boxes and Spider wraps have a built in alarm that goes off when outside the store. Do not
leave the store with these items or tamper with them. Just unlock and remove.

11

Removing media boxes

After watching the training videos you should have a basic understanding of how the devices
work; now you must find clever ways to unlock these devices.
Use the Alpha key. Secure the key to your leg via tape (yes it will hurt taking off but you dont
want it falling out). After picking up the game, or other small media; either pretend to drop it, or get
down to tie your shoe. While going up or coming down (depending on which direction you placed your
key) swipe the game case across the key through your pants, while simultaneous pressing the switch on
the box with your finger. You now have the game unlocked. Dont be afraid to walk around with it
unlocked, you can easily say it was on the shelf like that; but the best thing to do is immediately use the
sticky bag trick you will learn later on. If this routine is too complicated or clumsy to you, just
discretely find a way that works for you, just dont be worried and act natural.
Alpha keys are not needed to open small media boxes however; strong magnets should be able
to do the trick. The reason you really want to use an Alpha key is because it is shaped to perfectly work
every time. Using your own magnet can be tricky but doable; neodymium magnet (power N48 or
higher). These magnets can also be placed over the magnetic tags you find in DVDs or CDs some times.
Here is a great place to purchase really high powered magnets.
http://www.magnet4less.com/index.php?cPath=1_122

12

Clothing Tags
There are a lot of clothing tags out there, lets go over a vocabulary definition really fast as it is
important. These types of tags are called EAS tags; Electronic Article Surveillance and most of them work
pretty much the same.

Clothing is actually easier and less nerve racking because, yes it is all done in the changing room.
I am sure you have seen this:

These tags are made of 2 components; a pin and the tag. The pin is punched through the
clothing and locked into the tag in a similar way a zip tie locks. These come in different shapes and sizes
but all fundamentally work the same. If the tag passes through the magnetic detector, the alarm will
ring.
Removing the clothing tag
These are actually quite simple to remove, even without buying specialty tools. Simply have two
pairs of pliers ready. Now with the pin facing down away from you, grab both ends of the tag and bend
down away from you; this will for the tag to release the pin and your clothing and the pin should fall to
the ground.
13

Sensormatic detacher arm

The easiest way to remove this standard Sensormatic clothing tag is with a professional tool
which is actually not expensive. You can find on my website (http://www.CommonThief.com) the
Sensormatic detacher arm replacement which looks like this

With the bottom end (the side with the two holes for screws) in the palm of your hand, you
insert the hook into the top of the clothing tag. Clothing tags have a hole in the top specifically for this
arm. Slide the arm all the way in and give it some good speed, the pin pops right off.
If you have a similar tag but it is much thicker with a warning message on it, those tags have an
ink in them that can leak out and ruin the clothes.

14

These tags are a little tricky but it can still be done. A high powered magnet needs to be placed
around the cone of the pin at the bottom. Place something like this around the pin of the tag, if it is
strong enough, you can pop the pin right off without worrying about ink leaking out.

http://www.supermagnetman.net/index.php?cPath=40

Another option is to purchase a tool that removes these tags however they for anywhere from
$50-$100. Just search for them here is an example of a google search; most tools are too large to bring
on your person. http://www.sensortags.net/universal-magnetic-remover.htm
This tag (as well as a few others) requires a radial magnet like the one above. On the inside of
the tag there are a ring of tiny magnetic ball bearings that come together around the pin and close the
lock. In order to unlock the tag the ball bearings have to be pulled away from the center.
Now those are the two most common types of magnetic tags but the same basic principles
should apply to anything you see.

15

Leaving with the tag on

The best option is to remove these tags in the store however if you must the following is an
acceptable way to leave the store with the item still in the box or with the tag still on.
Take a shopping bag from a different store in the mall and line the inside with a few layers of
tin-foil (yes, I know it sounds crazy) a professional may actually use copper or lead foil because less is
needed. These do work contrary to popular belief; in fact this trick was featured in the New York Times.
Place a cellphone in the bag and call it; if it doesnt ring you should be good. Place the stolen item in the
bag and walk out. It should bypass the alarm but I would take a few measures just in case. One scheme I
am fond of is having a friend pretend he was just pranking you if the alarm goes off. So for instance, if
the alarm was to go off, have your friend laugh his ass off and tell security:
Im sorry I was pulling a prank on my friend, I stuck that in his bag so it would go off
Quickly return the item and walk away as if you are humiliated and the friend still finds it funny. At that
point it is best to leave the mall. This modified shopping bag is known to shoplifters as a Booster Bag.

Milli-Tag (clothing)

16

Here is an example of a clothing tag that you cannot bend open with pliers, however it also can
be opened with a radial magnet. Get a very powerful radial magnet, the strongest you can get a hold of
and place it opposite of the pin. Once secured simply push the pin in and it will unlatch and pop off. This
tag is often seen on wallets, belts, hats, bracelets, and other small accessory type items. Once again you
can find radial magnets online, search for speaker magnets and you should find something. Make sure
you know the size, some are very small.
For reference, all tags that you see out there with this type of bump are all exploitable under the
same system. So this can be used on Dome tags as well, anything with this iconic bump in it.

Soft AM tags

These are ever so popular, but all too easy to overcome.

The best thing to do is remove it. If you cannot for some reason, damage it, bend it, cut it, or poke a hole
in it, whatever you have to do. These operate by emitting a small radio frequency; at the counter the
deactivator is a small EMP device that fries it. You can easily kill it by busting up the spiral antenna
inside, thus removing the radio transmission. These are very sensitive.

17

Schemes
There are some popular schemes that have been around for quite some time that, believe it or
not, are still not really addressed.

The White House scam

The White House Scam is probably the most popular of all scams and schemes, however it still
works great. This particular scam allows you to get expensive items for free without ever trying to sneak
out of the store. This trick doesnt require two people but the plan goes off a lot faster and with a lot
less suspicion, as well as allows you to obtain more than one item.
First go in and purchase one or a few different expensive items with cash, it is not suspicious to
use cash it can make you memorable though if its a lot; not to worry though, you havent done anything
wrong and in this scam its kind of a good thing. If at all possible purchase the items at customer service
where returns are made, not necessary it just helps. Run out to your car and stash the items out of site
from a camera, so long as no one can see the items through a window. Meanwhile while have an
accomplice gather the exact same items somewhere in the store and place them somewhere you can
pick them up.
In phase two re-enter the store with the stores bag concealed; perhaps with a group of other
people who are walking in, and simply go retrieve the items, and return them with your receipt, try to
go the same cashier if at all possible and just say you found someone in your family actually just bought
this item or something like that so you dont need it, easy.
The complication
Now what some stores do to combat this is; when you walk in with an item or items, they place
a sticker on the object that should tear if you attempt to remove it. However everywhere I go I can say
18

that they place the sticker on so loosely that it could accidently fall off the item. Just walk back in with a
small item such as a DVD and take the sticker from that and place it on the more expensive duped item,
and that takes care of that problem

The Sticky Bag

Often used when you are worried about being caught. This is a fairly simple trick used to get
small items that dont have security tags (or items that were taken out of the packaging. This can be
used to conceal an item if you think you might get searched.
Enter the store with another stores bigger paper bag with a flat bottom. The trick is to line the
underside of the bottom of this bag with some Velcro; the rest is pretty self-explanatory. Get a piece of
Velcro on the item you are taking, and get down to tie your shoe (or something of that nature)
simultaneously put the item down, and as you stand back up tap the item with your bag and be on your
way. The item will stick to the underside of your bag, never to be seen. Walk with the bag low at your
side, from the high angle people near you will see no one will notice. If your bag is searched, no
problem; there is nothing in your bag.
Obviously there are places and objects this wont work with, so just choose carefully.

Parking Lot Plunder

Not so much a scheme or plan, in fact this is something that is almost too popular, so I will keep
this short. In the summer many people will leave their windows cracked, sit out in a parking lot with a
friend with a few empty spots around you. Wait until someone parks with their windows cracked and go
to town.
19

Take a metal coat hanger and attempt to hit the doors unlock switch, at the same time have the
accomplice be on the phone standing close to you speaking on the phone to another party about the
troubles you are having being stuck at the mall without your keys; very simple, semi risky.
Personally I do not condone this act even more so than shoplifting. Just remember most
people work hard for their money just like you; large corporations are the ones raping your wallet, not
mom and pop stores and other people. Try and have some kind of personal moral.

Counterfeit manufacturer coupons

Extremely popular with the online community, these fraudulent coupons can discount many
items at stores or even make them free. I wont go too far into this subject because there is a 50 page
PDF out there explaining how to actually create these things (ask for it on 4chan.org, linking directly to
illegal content might not be in this books best interest.).
Manufactures coupons are slips of paper that hold a certain value to be redeemed on a
particular product, the store will be reimbursed that value once the coupon has been sent out to the
manufacturer. Now for small time penny pinchers these are fantastic because any dollar amount under
$10 - $15 should be redeemable with no problem at any check out, including self-check-out. This is a
really easy way to score some free candy or a drink.
However with the proper social engineering techniques these coupons can be used to fool
stores into granting much larger products to criminals. In the following video an Anonymous thief by the
name of EyeRis shows a short video of himself with a Nintendo DSi he got for free (minus tax).
Video: http://www.hotfile.com/links/126346754/5025ae7/proof.rar.html
Password: /b/

20

This video while short will actually explain better how to prepare the coupon, though if it is something
under $10 for some food item, plain old paper cut out should be fine.
These coupons float around a website called 4chan quite often. Also if you can pull this one
over, you are completely safe, no sneaking around, no hiding items nothing is out of the ordinary. NOTE:
Many stores will not accept these, Wal-Mart believe it or not is actually big on not accepting these, but
that doesnt mean dont try.
Read EyeRiss article on these coupons
http://eyerishacking.blogspot.com/2011/08/counterfeit-manufacturer-coupons.html

Barcode Swap
An extremely popular and VERY effective method used by thieves to lower the price of an item.
In this situation there are two different models of the same product, however one is much cheaper than
the other. Obtain the UPC code of the product online (very easy) and from that you could go to a site
such as:
http://www.barcoding.com/upc/
Enter the UPC code in the first box, choose UPC-a in the drop down menu and just like that, you have
the barcode.
From here the barcode can be printed onto some cheap sticker paper and cut out. All that has to
be done is take that barcode and place it on the more expensive item so it rings up for less. The sticker
will not raise suspicion, believe it or not retailers replace barcodes all the time for whatever reason;
(vendors sometimes change UPCs) even if something did happen it is very easy to say you found it like
that and it said it was cheaper on the shelf, now you wouldnt like it.

21

Mall clothing store heists

Clothing theft is easily the most popular type of shoplifting and sometimes the most closely
watched. There is no real method to this procedure but I do have a few tips to share with you.
Now for starters I would ONLY attempt this on some type of holiday where the store is very
busy; 4th of July, Labor Day, Presidents day, any holiday where you know people have off and will be at
the mall. Notice I did not say Black Friday or Christmas, these are fine but quite often stores hire extra
security on these particular holidays.
Search for clothing without security tags. Quite often return items never get tags placed back on
them because the store is simply too busy, or for whatever reason they were just over looked. Now if
they do have a tag I have already taught you how to remove most tags; however you should easily be
able to avoid the whole situation by finding belts and other accessory items without tags, it may be
harder to find shirts and things without tags.
The second part of this is entering the changing room; here are the scenarios and how to approach
them.
Numbered Items Stall
Some stores count how many items you enter the stalls with, on busy holidays this can
sometimes be thrown out all together to speed things up, sometimes not. An easy way to snag a belt in
this situation is to place a belt inside a new pair of jeans and enter as one item, put the belt on and stuff
the tags in your pockets, somewhere else in the store dispose of the tags, do not keep them on you.

22

Locked Stall
Common sense should be able to help you out with this one. Some stores just lock the stalls and
personally unlock it for you. Not a real issue, but to keep anonymity, you may want to just go in the stall
directly after someone has finished to bypass they sales person.
Relax
No one can see you in the changing room there are no cameras allowed. Do not let that sticker
on the mirror about shoplifting scare you; that is why they put it there. If it is a belt just pull your shirt
over it and continue your shopping casually. No proof you stole it, you came in with it.

Knock-off switch
In this method you can get yourself expensive designer brand merchandise for only a few bucks.
This is most common with sunglasses, watches, and headphones but could really be applied to anything
where a specialist isnt involved. Search online for a fake knock off version of what you are trying to get.
Obtain the fake and return it in place of the real one at a retail store. You dont make money in this
situation but you do walk away with a real designer product instead of a cheap fake. You can now sell
the real item if you wish, however you could also easily sell the fake. One I have used before is like eBay
but they allow fakes and such (and normally cost as much or less than online wholesalers)
http://www.ioffer.com/

There are many online feel free to Google.

Put it on his Visa

A classic method that has been somewhat forgot in the recent years still can get you free cash. I
warn you again however even though this book is for educational purposes and I stated I do not
condone these actions; this is another one I morally object. In your nearest convenience store you can
23

find the rack holding all types of gift cards to restaurants and stores. On that rack you will also find prepaid Visa debit cards. This method used to be popular with game cards such as Xbox Microsoft points;
however they added the scratch off area which made this difficult. Visa debit cards are completely
visible. Go over the rack and grab a $100 Visa gift card. After you have done so walk around the store
with possibly other items in your hand and pull out your smart phone. Begin to record the card
information into your phone along with the expiration date and cvv number on the back, when you are
finished, email the information to yourself. Be careful not to damage the packaging and, place the card
back on the rack.
From home you can check to see if the card has been activated by trying to register it at Visa's
website here:
https://www.giftcards.com/card_tools/activate.html
Once the card shows up as valid online, that means someone has purchased the card and it is
now active. Spending is a little tricky; the smartest thing to do may be to buy virtual items so that there
is no shipping address associated with you just in case. Buy a premium account to some site or game
and sell it from there.

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Radio hacking, surveillance and distraction

Alright, this section is short and I will not lie, if isnt the easiest or most universal method you
can use, However if it works you are golden, and for that it gets its own chapter. If you can distract
security in any way you have an opportunity, and if you can always monitor the security you know
exactly what is happening. Being the geek I am, I choose to mess with people electronically. Larger
stores mostly have some kind of walkie-talkie system to communicate with each other for a variety of
purposes. The best part about this is most of these stores use Motorola brand communication
equipment. So if you have a semi high end radio where you can enter the frequency you may be able to
tap in for your own needs. Now I will warn you now, the likely hood of this working for you is slim but it
is however possible depending on the stores equipment. Here is a chart of public frequencies that you
should look out for. I will highlight those which are most common. There are more than these but these
are the most likely.

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Walkie-Talkie frequencies
Citizen's Band (CB)

Family Radio Service (FRS)

Walkie-Talkies & Baby Monitors

26.96500Channel 01
26.97500Channel 02
26.98500Channel 03
27.00500Channel 04
27.01500Channel 05
27.02500Channel 06
27.03500Channel 07
27.05500Channel 08
27.06500Channel 09
27.07500Channel 10
27.08500Channel 11
27.10500Channel 12
27.11500Channel 13
27.12500Channel 14
27.13500Channel 15
27.15500Channel 16
27.16500Channel 17
27.17500Channel 18
27.18500Channel 19
27.20500Channel 20
27.21500Channel 21
27.22500Channel 22
27.25500Channel 23
27.23500Channel 24
27.24500Channel 25
27.26500Channel 26
27.27500Channel 27
27.28500Channel 28
27.29500Channel 29
27.30500Channel 30
27.31500Channel 31
27.32500Channel 32
27.33500Channel 33
27.34500Channel 34
27.35500Channel 35
27.36500Channel 36
27.37500Channel 37
27.38500Channel 38
27.39500Channel 39
27.40500Channel 40

462.5625Channel 01
462.5875Channel 02
462.6125Channel 03
462.6375Channel 04
462.6625Channel 05
462.6875Channel 06
462.7125Channel 07
467.5625Channel 08
467.5875Channel 09
467.6125Channel 10
467.6375Channel 11
467.6625Channel 12
467.6875Channel 13
467.7125Channel 14

49.67000Channel 01
49.77000Channel 02
49.83000Channel 03
49.84500Channel 04
49.86000Channel 05
49.87500Channel 06
49.89000Channel 07
49.93000Channel 08
49.97000Channel 09
49.99000Channel 10

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Dialed in
The general plan behind this is fairly obvious but in case it isnt let me spell it out. Dial your radio
device to a frequency and listen in, if you hear nothing do a microphone check. Simply ask something
like Hey is my walkie working? if an employee hears this hopefully they will respond with youre
good or something of that nature assuring you that you are on the right channel. If you get no answer,
move on to a new channel. Once you have dialed in to the correct channel the fun can start.
Be sure to wait a while after getting a response from an employee if you did talk. It also isnt a
bad idea to listen in more just to make sure you are listening to the correct store. This is best done with
a partner and there are again, multiple ways to go. Walk into the store and get near the items you need.
Text the accomplice the location of some teenager in the store. From here the accomplice will say
something like L.P. watch the guy in Department name here, I think he is trying something (L.P. is
store jargon for Loss protection or security). The camera will now be focused on the mark as well as
most of the employees you are now hidden.
Another method of distraction would simply to play music or static over the radio, disrupting
communication and creating confusion. Now not only can the employees not communicate if you are
suspected of something, they are all focused on finding the source of the sound.
Lastly you can use this as surveillance to see if the security is onto you. They will be quite clear
on the radio just listen for a description of someone that fits you and that is your clue to leave.

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Random Tips and Tricks

These are random bits of information a thief should know before shoplifting.

Take a penny leave a penny

A common practice among shop lifters is marking areas where cameras cannot see. Look up, if
there is some kind of mark on the ceiling; gum, a magnet, something out of the ordinary; it was most
likely left their by another shoplifter to let others know that cameras cannot see underneath that
marking. So if you know a camera cant see an area leave a mark.

Requesting permission to abort!

If you are certain that you are being watched and want to dump the would-be-stolen goods,
dont get caught. It isnt against the law, just makes for a smoother exit in case they didnt see anything.
If you are caught dumping the goods, dont let security know it was because you know they saw
you, you simply couldnt bare the guilt, they will go easier on you. Even so, right now they cant really
charge you with anything.

A knock at the door

If the police arrive at your house stay calm. Remember that they do not have a warrant and
cannot enter your home without your permission. If you see a cop is at your home, open the door go
outside and close it behind you. DO NOT open the door and allow them to come inside where you may
have the stolen item. By letting them into your house even a foot you are consenting to a search if they
choose. If the police claim to have you stealing on video, ask to see the proof; you want to see tapes and
license numbers linking you to the crime. Cops can bluff to try and get a confession out of you. If you
are caught you will most likely just have to pay for the item. Retail is a business and they do not want to
spend money in court, they would rather just have the item paid for and forgotten about.
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Drop your weapon!

Do not enter with a weapon! You might be saying to yourself Thats silly however I (as well as
many others) carry a small pocket knife on my keychain, for legitimate purposes; it comes in hand
literally every day. However, if caught with such a device or mace, a taser, or other weapons you can
be charged with armed robbery. Make sure you have nothing on your person that could be threatening
to law enforcement.

Blister packs
Blister packs (those annoying plastic packages you need scissors to open) are a BITCH to open,
but not for a shoplifter. Do not try to open the whole package, and get out all the contents. Take a
brand new razor blade (just the blade) and trace around the main item, leave everything else. You can
quickly and silently get the expensive part of the package and sell it online.

Get away van

Get your partner ready to go. If you have a partner; after you have secured the item, send the
partner out to start the car and maybe pull it around. As the partner keep your eyes out looking to see if
anyone watches you leave. If you are under suspicion you may notice extra attention from loss
protection or the door greeter. Look at their face and read their signals, if you get a vibe that they know
something trust your instinct, call the partner inside and abort. Otherwise, have the car ready to go
when the partner inside leave a minute later.

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