Top 10 Most Surprising Stolen Products
#10: Pregnancy Tests
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Pregnancy tests are consistently stolen for a wide variety of reasons. For one, they can be very expensive, so some people may balk at the idea of paying such an exorbitant price for something they’ll only use once. They are also very small and easily hidden, so would-be thieves can open the box and smuggle out the test in their purses or jackets. Heck, you could even open the box and take the test in the store’s bathroom - not that we’re suggesting you do that or anything! These tests are also sometimes bought at times of extreme emotional vulnerability, so people may not be in the greeting-the-cashier kind of mood when shopping for one.
#9: Deodorant / Body Spray
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We all like to smell nice, but apparently some of us don’t like to pay for it. Deodorant and body spray, specifically Axe, remain popularly stolen items, especially around the holidays when parents are looking for stocking stuffers. A quality deodorant or body spray can be quite expensive, and some may not be willing to pay the high prices. Axe is also very popular with teenagers, and teenagers aren’t always known for being the most law-abiding shoppers. And, like pregnancy tests, sticks of deodorant and cans of body spray are small in size, allowing for easy smuggling. Who knew that the modern thief was so focused on hygiene?
#8: Electric Toothbrushes
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Normal toothbrushes ain’t no thang. You can buy those piddly things at the dollar store. But electric toothbrushes? That’s rich people stuff. And, believe it or not, electric toothbrushes are a hot commodity. Police in Florida estimate that $3 million worth of oral hygiene products, including electric toothbrushes, were illegally sold in 2011 by just two suspects. These thieves would steal the products and sell them to a pawn shop, which in turn would sell the toothbrushes for a small price on eBay. A 47-year-old Maryland woman also stole $16,000 worth of electric toothbrushes from Kohl’s stores in Pennsylvania in 2013. What can we say? We guess oral hygiene is a lucrative business.
#7: Laptops
We don’t know how people actually steal the laptops themselves, so don’t ask. All we know is that they are often amongst the most stolen electronics from brick and mortar chains. Laptops are very expensive, especially the higher-end brands, and many people simply aren’t willing or able to fork over the cash. The FBI’s National Crime Information Center estimates that over a hundred thousand laptops are stolen from corporations every year, and many are usually sold online at a discounted price for a profit. So you should probably think twice about purchasing that $200 MacBook, tempting as it may be.
#6: Baby Formula
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Baby formula is stolen for a wide variety of reasons and by a wide variety of people. Desperate new parents could be the culprit, as they may find difficulties rounding up the necessary cash to provide for the new addition. Babies are expensive little buggers, after all. However, thieves also seek out baby formula, as it is in high demand and is typically untraceable. It can be sold for some quick cash for a profit, as many new parents are always on the lookout for cheaper options. We don’t know if we’d trust buying baby formula off some random dude on the internet, but apparently it happens.
#5: Razor Blades
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We all know what a pain buying razor blades can be. You typically have two options – buy razors from the dollar store and scratch your skin off or pay what can only be described as a small fortune for a quality pack of razors at the drugstore. Meanwhile, their high price, small size, and high demand all combine to make razor blades a hot commodity that are often the target of experienced thieves. Razors have ranked as one of the world’s most stolen items for more than a decade in the early 2000s due to their resale value. There’s a reason that they’re often hidden behind some sort of contraption! https://www.pricegun.com/top-10-strangest-stolen-items/ - info http://www.businessinsurance.org/the-9-most-shoplifted-items-in-america/ - info
#4: Cheese
Everyone loves a nice piece of cheese. The problem is, good cheese can be very, very expensive. Sure, we can buy those plastic-y processed slices for cheap, but come on, that’s not really cheese. According to the Global Retail Theft Barometer and Checkpoint Systems, cheese (along with our #1 pick) is the most stolen food item throughout the world. Cheese is often in high demand (because, like we said, who doesn’t love cheese?), it’s expensive, it’s simple to hide and not often tagged, making it an easy target for shoplifters. Alright, who else has a hankering for a hunk of cheese now?
#3: Hair Extensions
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Yes, believe it or not, hair extensions are quite the hot commodity on the black market. Like most things when it comes to female hair, hair extensions can be incredibly expensive, and a lot of people aren’t willing or able to pay that much money to look good. A story of hair robberies even hit the New York Times in 2011, as hair extensions were being stolen from beauty salons at an alarming rate. A store owner was even killed during a 2011 robbery in Michigan. Yes... people have been killed over hair. Once thieves successfully make off with the hair, it’s sold at a profit through online outlets such as eBay.
#2: Laundry Detergent
Like most commonly stolen items, laundry detergent is a necessity that is often extremely overpriced. Everyone needs to do laundry and good laundry detergent at an affordable price is hard to find. So we’re guessing that quite a lot of people feel like they shouldn’t have to pay $20 for a tub of Tide pods when they can just steal them, especially since Tide is also a hot commodity on the black market. Thieves steal the detergent and either sell it at a profit or fraudulently return them to stores for cash. Their bottles have even become an alleged currency in the drug market, known as “liquid gold.” Yes, people are apparently paying for their crack cocaine with bottles of Tide. We’re not making that up. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Ink Cartridges Price Guns Coffee
#1: Meat
As we’re sure you noticed the last time you checked the price tag and gasped in shock, meat is very expensive. However, it’s also a necessity for a majority of people and families. This has resulted in a wave of raw meat thefts in the early 21st century, bringing it up with the aforementioned cheese as one of America’s most stolen food items. While there is cheap meat, like pork, to purchase, many thieves sneak out with higher quality meats like beef and lamb. Snce a steak or a lamp chop can really elevate one’s dinner game, this makes sense, but that doesn’t mean stealing it is right either!
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