Man fined $350k for cunning self-service checkout scam

A 58-year-old business man was convicted of theft by Munich's district court after scanning A$73.50 of veal liver as cheaper fruit. Photo / AAP

If you think you are clever scanning your expensive avocados as cheap apples at the self-service checkout, you might want to reconsider before you face the consequences.

Don't believe me? Just ask the German man who was fined A$326,000 ($349,794) for his nefarious use of a self-service checkout.

The 58-year-old business man, who wasn't identified, was convicted of theft by Munich's district court after scanning A$73.50 of veal liver as cheaper fruit.

Although the fine might seem excessive, the court based it on the fact the man has a monthly income of A$37,500.

He had also been caught cheating the system three times previously, and has convictions for theft and tax evasion.

After the court appearance, the man was released from jail, where he had been held since the theft in December.

The news follows an angry wife being told to leave her husband after sharing his confession about stealing from self-service checkouts in December last year.

Posting on parenting forum mumsnet, the wife asked if she was being unreasonable for confronting her husband for his theft.

"Dh [darling husband] has started to steal from self-service tills. Mostly small items such as chocolate bars or cans but today he came home with a new wallet," she wrote. "He bragged about how the wallet was free."

She added that her husband would sometimes pay for one item, but take three.

"I basically told him he was shoplifting and we had a big argument over it. He said 'everyone does it' and that I'm no better as we were undercharged in a restaurant once and we didn't say anything," she explained.

"I told him he could easily be caught but he doesn't see the big deal in it."

The husband was instantly slammed on the parenting forum. One user called him "thieving scum" and others suggested his days of stealing were numbered.

"He's a thief, plain & simple. I hope he gets caught, he won't be bragging then," wrote one user.

"It's shoplifting, and if he keeps doing it, then he'll get caught sooner or later," added another.

Some users went as far to suggest she should leave her husband because of his actions.

"I couldn't stay with a person who did this. I'd have no respect for them. It's only a matter of time till he's caught. I have no sympathy for him," one user wrote.

'It wouldn't matter to me if he gets caught or not. I wouldn't want to be married to a thief," added another.

Last November, a Florida woman was charged for using the self-service checkout to buy more than A$2300 worth of electronics for just A$4.20.

Cheyenne West allegedly have removed stickers from clearance items and put them over the barcodes of an Omen computer, video game controllers and other electronic products.

According to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, West and her mother, Alicia, roused the suspicion of staff watching on video surveillance.

West was arrested and taken to the Indian River County Jail where she was charged with felony grand theft and retail theft.

When asked to explain her actions, West said she was just trying to get some nice gifts for her family.

"I am just trying to get gifts for my son that I cannot afford. The computer is for my husband. Since he just got me a Coach purse, I figured he deserved something nice as well," she told the deputy.

In February, a Queensland mum faced court for an elaborate barcode scam that enabled her to steal A$4500 in groceries from Coles and Woolworths

The woman photocopied the barcodes from 65c and 72c packets of two-minute noodles, which she then printed and glued to sticky labels and then stuck on more expensive items.

She was jailed for nine months on 31 counts of fraud, but the sentence was suspended for three years. She was also ordered to repay A$1545 to Coles and A$2070 to Woolworths.