Store owners resort to ‘public shaming’ on social media to deter shoplifters

Business owners who have been victims of shoplifting are taking matters into their own hands to catch the suspects. One business owner said he was able to get his stolen goods back by posting the identities of the thieves on social media.

According to NBC News, Fraser Ross, the owner of Kitson, a clothing store, posted on Instagram about the thefts at his store and the three suspects.

One of the suspects, a woman, was even identified as an influencer with over 50,000 followers on Instagram.

In the security footage that the owner shared on Instagram, the woman is seen taking a hat from the shelf, then grabbing more hats and T-shirts, putting them in her Lululemon bag, and leaving the store.

Ross publicly condemned the woman, revealing her full name, where she works, and where she frequents.

“If everyone passes this around, businesses around LA can keep her profile and ban her from their establishment if they want as she is a menace to society,” Ross wrote in the caption. “Erewhon, be very aware. She loves Nobu and all the fancy restaurants.”

The store also posted a photo of a hat they claim was stolen with the sarcastic phrase “Do I look like I’m a shoplifter” on it.

Ross’s posts attracted the attention of the internet, garnering more than 5,000 likes.

The suspects eventually returned to Kitson, returning two stolen T-shirts and paying for a stolen hat, Ross said.

The female suspect in another case, whose identity was released, also paid about $1,000 in restitution for the stolen items after her name was posted online, Ross said.

“I guess it’s public shaming, but I don’t know what to do,” Ross said. “We just came to a point where this is what we have to do.”