Wealthy Americans are more likely to steal from self-checkouts: report

Rich people, poor behavior.

Americans who live in households making upwards of $100,000 a year are twice as likely as poverty-stricken shoppers to steal from self-checkouts, a new survey has found.

A sizable 40% of six-figure earners admitted to deliberately not scanning an item at a store, according to a recent LendingTree report — more than double the 17% of people making $30,000 and under who say they have done the same thing.

Meanwhile, 27% of people in households earning between $50,000 and $99,999 reported that they had purposefully taken something without scanning it.

The survey also broke down the stats by sex, with men far more likely to steal at the self-checkout than women (38% vs 16%). 

However, self-checkout theft is rising across all categories, per the report, despite retailers employing AI and more sophisticated weight and scale verifications to clamp down on the scamming shoppers.

Many of those surveyed say they feel justified in stealing some minor items, with 29% saying stores are large and profitable, so the harm of petty theft feels minimal.

A further 35% said self-scanning is unpaid labor, and taking small items is compensation.

However, the most common reason for theft is rising prices, with 47% claiming the current financial climate is making essentials unaffordable.

This stat suggests that even high-income Americans are feeling the squeeze when it comes to shopping, due to inflation and the impact of tariffs.