A LAWYER is warning people of retailers forcing a fee payment when accusing customers of theft at self-checkouts.
Frank Walker is a lawyer with multi-state accreditation in West Virginia and Pennsylvania who is taking to social media to educate people on their rights.
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Walker specializes in criminal defense, with practices in both states where he is licensed.
“Stopped for Retail Theft? Shoplifting? Presented with paperwork to sign?” reads the caption on a recent video posted to YouTube Shorts.
“If you’re stopped in a store for suspicion of retail theft,” the attorney began to explain his newest tip.
“They may take you to the back of the store and have you review some documents. And say, ‘ He if you just pay this, then it will all go away,'” he continued.
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Walker then shook his head in a negative response and gave his single answer to this situation.
“Call a lawyer.”
The reality is, that a lawyer is better versed in whatever paperwork the store might ask a customer to sign.
Just because a worker says verbally that paying a fee and signing some papers make the whole ordeal go away does not mean it is true and a lawyer is the right person to ensure your next move is the right one.
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By not calling a professional, you could end up paying a fee, signing papers and then still being prosecuted.
TAKEN TO THE BACKROOM
Last year, Paige Warren stopped at a Walmart in Montgomery, Texas, and one simple mistake landed her in a Walmart backroom.
She chose to pay at self-checkout, spending just over $30, and when leaving, security searched her bag and told her that a bag of Reese’s Pieces candy was not scanned, accusing her of a crime.
“I didn’t want to steal the Reese’s,” she explained.
“The second [security] stopped me, I was like, is something wrong? If something didn’t scan, I’d be happy to go back and pay.”
Paying for the candy to fix the mistake was not an option for security, who instead detained Warren, taking her to the backroom of the store.
“He was like, you didn’t scan your bag of Reese’s. [Then], proceeded to take me to the back Walmart holding cell room,” Warren explained.
Once she entered the room to be questioned by security, Warren began recording on her smartphone.
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“I don’t understand why I can’t walk back outside and pay for my bag of Reese’s and go outside with my children,” Warren can be heard protesting in the video.
Eventually, they let Warren leave but not before banning her from shopping at the store.