With over $2 billion worth of goods stolen from retailers in Illinois every year, theft is no stranger to this state - that includes Walmart.

No matter what struggles you're dealing with that makes you resort to shoplifting, remember that theft can quickly turn into a Class 3 felony.

"Stealing items valued at $500 or less is a Class A misdemeanor, but the charges and penalties increase as the value of the stolen items increases. Theft of items valued at $500 to $10,000 is a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison." [jaldrichlaw]

Now, are you rethinking whether stealing is worth the risk?

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Winter is the favorite season for Americans to partake in five-finger discounts.

"about half of retailers’ annual loss due to shoplifting occurs during the winter, with 81% of those incidents happening in the weeks leading up to the holiday season." [deepsentinel]

Makes sense... holiday shopping is in full swing, many families are financially hurting with inflation on the rise, and it's probably way easier to shoplift with a larger crowd around. Sad, but it's reality.

At Walmart, they've been cracking down on shoplifting. Apparently, they use their handheld devices to watch your every move to prevent further thefts.

"A TC device is that little handheld device employees carry and with it, they can see everything you're buying at self-checkout." [SSS]

Employees will stop your self-checkout session, come over and "check to see if the register is working", and then see if you were attempting to shoplift. Be careful!

@obeygoddes via TikTok/SSS

I guess their famous tagline, "Save Money. Live Better." was taken pretty literally by shoppers- sorry, shoplifters. Here's what Walmart says are stolen the most in their stores.