The High-Tech Gadget Putting an End to Supermarket Turkey Thefts

The gizmo can detect when a cashier fails to scan a turkey — or any other item.

Thousands of turkeys are stolen from supermarkets every year ahead of Thanksgiving.

Turkey heists happen four times more often in November and December than the rest of the year combined. Sometimes, they occur when supermarket cashiers slip a turkey past a scanner without scanning it, giving the bird away for free to their friends. 

But now new technology is literally putting a target on the turkey thieves, as it can detect when a cashier fails to scan a turkey —  or any other item. 

Malay Kundu invented Stoplift, which works by letting the cashier know that an item was not scanned before a customer checks out. The entire transaction is recorded from above the scanner.  

Inside Edition tested the technology at Vincente's Supermarkets in Brockton, Massachusetts.

An Inside Edition producer acted as a cashier and tried to pull a fast one on the supermarket by allowing a product not to get scanned. Brian Vincente, owner of the supermarket, explained that as soon as the cashier tried to skip scanning the item, Stoplift notified both the employee and the manager of the potential theft. 

Would-be thieves, beware!

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