Accused of Shoplifiting in a Letter from a Retailer, but I Didn't Take Anything

Hi there. So today I get a letter in the mail from Safeway, supposedly claiming that I had stole something from them. I did not steal anything from them and I honestly have no idea what this is about. The letter states:

You were apprehended in a connection with a theft from the Safeway Store in Vancouver and you may be criminally charged. In addition to possible criminal charges, Safeway may also make a separate civil claim against you in the Civil Court for damages, including investigative expenses and costs.

Therefore Safeway hereby demands you pay the sum of $300.00 in order to settle the civil claim. Payment should be made by Certified Cheque, Money Order, Visa, Master Card or American Express in the address shown below and must be received within twenty-one days of the date of this letter.

If you do not pay $300.00 Safeway reserves the right to take civil action against you in court. Such a civil action would include a claim for all damages, compensation and costs as the Court may allow. Your immediate payment of $300.00 would settle this civil matter and avoid further expenses and costs being incurred. Criminal charges are a separate manner.

I honestly am SHOCKED and do not know what to do. I shop at Safeway on a regular basis, ever since I was young with my family and have never stolen anything from them. I seriously do not know what this is about. At the moment I have been laid off from my job and do not even have $300 to give them, for something I didn't even do. It is also claiming I was at a store in Vancouver when I only shop at the stores in Burnaby where I live. There is a number I can call which I will do tomorrow morning. Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks a ton.

Sounds like someone gave them your name and address when they were busted.

Perhaps..didn't think of that one. Not really sure who would know my full name and exact address but I suppose it's possible. I did go to the Burnaby location a couple weeks ago where I usually go to but I paid for every single thing and was not asked or stopped by anyone in suspicion of taking anything. Should I call the number tomorrow?

With your reference to Burnaby, I'm thinking the Vancouver under discussion is the one in B.C., not Washington. This is a U.S. forum.

Yes, this very well could be identity theft. A friend once had something similar happen. He went to the store, where they had taken a photo of the suspect, and they could see quite clearly that it was not him -- that resolved the situation.

I would call the store that "you" supposedly store from, explain the situation, and make an appointment with the Loss Prevention manager. And as Mr K referenced....tell the manager that once they see you in person and compare to the photo of the thief, they'll see it was not you.

I would say with 99% certainty that they photographed the suspect and stolen items for evidence purposes. You should also ask if they made a copy of any ID this person had with them (make sure they don't have an ID under your name/addy)

What everyone else said.

Someone got caught stealing and used your identity. If "Vancouver" refers to Canada, you'll have to do some research as to what legal steps to take up there to make sure this doesn't keep happening. I'd imagine that a police report up there would be a good start.

Yes, I would definitely add a police report also. Perhaps the police can also ask the LP Manager to make a copy of any surveillance tape?

Also when you talk to the Loss Prevention Manager, make sure they also did not use your Social Insurance Number.

Now: A way they could have gotten your info....the trash. People will search through to try to obtain info to open credit cards in your name, or obtain your credit card info...so buy a shredder if you don't already have one.

Does this sound like a scam to anyone else, or is really how retailers typically resolve theft cases?

A Civil Demand letter is common practice and is separate from any criminal charges.

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Quoting PandorasBox

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A Civil Demand letter is common practice and is separate from any criminal charges.

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Yep, its how they fund their loss prevention divisions.

To address Zingbug's question in full:

- The stores need to install cameras and video recorders.
- The stores needs to hire Loss Prevention staff and pay for wages and benefits, along with insurance in case they are hurt on the job.
- If the case goes to trial (many times in the US, a plea deal or diversion program is offered, and a trial avoided....) then the LP has to appear in court to testify.
- When a person is detained, often the Store Manager-in-Charge has to take time away from their work to sign paperwork.
- And of course, theft costs billions per year, not everyone is busted, so of course...the costs associated with the losses get passed onto shoplifters and consumers.
- And during the theft, the merchandise is unsaleable to people who may have bought it, so that is a loss to the store as well.
- If merchandise is not recovered in saleable condition, then the Civil Demand can be increased to reflect the amount of the damaged items.

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your responses. I have managed to get in touch with the VP of Safeway and it seems that my ID had been stolen. I had lost my wallet about a year ago containing my ID and had never gotten it back. The description of the situation was that someone, on November 15th around 9:30 am had been arrested at a Safeway store in Vancouver, specifically the King Edward location which is one that i've never even been to, as I only shop at the stores in Burnaby where I live. I was also at home the day it happened. Apparently they stole energy drinks, were caught and gave them my ID claiming that they were me. Supposedly the lady they caught had an appearance that was close enough to pass for mine. I'm still waiting to hear back today as I was talking to him via email to see what he says about my response. I will be filing both police and credit reports, as well as calling the Safeway that the incident happened at. Hopefully this will all be resolved soon enough.

Get those reports filed today.