Best Buy worker linked to shoplifting ring
In 2023, just months before Leterra’s alleged fraud scheme began, the National Retail Foundation warned that monitoring employee theft had become a bigger priority for retailers. In times of inflation, retail theft typically increases, and their survey found that record levels of talent turnover are putting pressure on retail staff and making it easier for those with malicious intent to get away with fraud.
For Best Buy, the risk of losses from stressed employees remains, as inflationary pressures persist. Last month, a Best Buy employee in Georgia helped a shoplifter steal more than $40,000 worth of merchandise, the local CBS News affiliate reported.
A police report alleges that surveillance footage showed that 20-year-old Dorian Allen allowed shoppers to leave the store without paying for more than 140 items. As CBS News reports, the stolen merchandise included “dozens of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S consoles, AirPods, Meta Quest VR headsets, Beats Wireless headphones, a PC, a Segway, wireless controllers and more.”
In the theft charge, Allen claimed she was being blackmailed by a hacker group who threatened to expose nude photos of her shared on Instagram if she did not cooperate. Allegedly under pressure, Allen memorized shoppers’ details so he could allow them to take goods without paying. He also allegedly helped the thieves load the items into their vehicles.
Managers called the police after Allen allegedly spent several weeks assisting shoplifters without being detected.
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