A Walmart loss prevention associate reviewed footage from the self-checkout area to find that the woman had been skipping over scanning merchandise, according to reports.
A Michigan woman has been charged with first-degree retail fraud after allegedly stealing over $1,000 from Walmart over several months.
TeddyJo Marie Fliam, 34, was confronted by a Walmart loss prevention associate on July 1 who says he had noticed Fliam not scanning items as she checked out in the self-checkout lane, according to a statement from police.
According to police, when the associate confronted Fliam as she left, she became agitated and denied the allegations that she was stealing.
After reviewing footage from the self-checkout area, the associate found Fliam had skipped over scanning over $1,000 worth of merchandise since April 2022, police allege.
The Walmart associate then called the police to file a report of retail fraud against Fliam, police reported.
The county prosecutor's office authorized an arrest warrant on Sept. 23 and Fliam was arrested at her home on Sept. 29, according to the police statement.
Fliam was arraigned for one count of first-degree retail fraud on Oct. 18, police said.
The crackdown on stealing in the large retailer has increased over the past couple of years, when in 2019, Walmart began using artificial intelligence to monitor what is scanned and what ends up in the shopper's bag at self-checkout, Fox News reported.
"Walmart is making a true investment to ensure the safety of our customers and associates," a Walmart spokesperson said in 2019, according to Fox News. "Over the last three years, the company has invested over half a billion dollars in an effort to prevent, reduce and deter crime in our stores and parking lots. We are continuously investing in people, programs, and technology to keep our stores and communities safe."
