Under section 188 of the Crimes Act 1900, receiving stolen property is classified as a criminal offence with offenders liable to significant penalties.
Take the item to the police
They'll try to return it to its original owner. You shouldn't keep the item or return it to the seller yourself - this might be considered 'handling stolen goods', which is illegal.
If it appears that your package has been stolen, contact the seller or retailer that sold you the item. Retailers have different policies and processes for handling stolen items, but you're usually entitled to a refund or a replacement. Amazon covers most stolen packages through its "A-to-Z" Guarantee Protection.
Burglars and thieves usually steal valuables to turn a profit. Pawn shops are the most common places to recover stolen items. But online listing sites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are increasingly popular places to sell stolen goods.
Call the Local Police Department
The most important step of all is to enlist the help of a police department. Contact local authorities and ask them to file a police report. Be descriptive; tell them how many items were stolen, provide descriptions, and send them any pictures you may have of your stolen goods.
The answer is yes, it is illegal. The offence is defined as the receipt of stolen property, well knowing that it is stolen.
While there is no specific data about how many retailers are using the radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology to track shoplifters, an estimated 15 percent of retailers have adopted it, according to retail security experts.
“The most popular items that burglars are looking to steal are typically cash, jewelry, and electronics.
They post images from their security footage and ask the community for help identifying the suspect. These methods can be used to find shoplifters long after they have left store property. If the store decides to file a report against you, you may be contacted by police or summoned to court.
Returning an Item Due to Remorse
Because intent is present, it is entirely possible to prosecute a person for stealing an item they later return. The return is irrelevant to the charges. The person took the item on purpose and permanently, and that is all the prosecution needs to know to seek justice.
A person guilty of handling stolen goods shall on conviction on indictment be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.
Accidental Shoplifting in California
Even if the items are worth less than $50, it's a crime and California shoplifting laws may leave you facing a hefty fine, probation or jail time.
A criminal charge of theft (or larceny) generally requires the specific intent to permanently deprive another individual of his or her property. If you legitimately forgot to return a borrowed item to its rightful owner, then you lacked specific intent to steal the item.
If you purchased a stolen good online without knowing it was stolen, you won't likely face any criminal charges. The law typically gives a break to those who unknowingly buy goods from a thief. If you find out at a later time that the item you purchased was stolen, you should report the activity to police officials.
Obviously, the easiest thing is receipts and other proofs of purchase. You can also prove it by photographs of the actual items before it was stolen from your property. You can prove it by testimony of other people and appraisals.
The minimum type of theft charge is called, “Petty Larceny,” which means stealing something up to the value of $1,000. This frequently happens when people go places like departmental stores and take clothing, jewelry, or things of that nature.
Burglars Know Where to Find the Goods
Most people keep valuables in their bedrooms, so no surprise that is the first stop for a thief. One of the first things most people don't think about is a burglar typically is looking for a suitcase, bag, or pillow case to use for carrying out all of the stolen goods.
Some people steal as a means to survive due to economic hardship. Others simply enjoy the rush of stealing, or steal to fill an emotional or physical void in their lives. Stealing may be caused by jealousy, low self-esteem, or peer-pressure. Social issues like feeling excluded or overlooked can also cause stealing.
A report by the UK's Center for Retail Research found that cheese is the most stolen food in the world. It turns out that about 4 percent of cheese goes missing from stores. The researchers say the cheese disappears most …
According to a study of retailers around the world, cheese is the most stolen food in grocery stores, trumping other high-theft items like meat, chocolate, alcohol, seafood and baby formula.
Per CRR, there are, in fact, a few food items that make the list of most-stolen, including packaged meat and coffee. Alcohol also unsurprisingly makes the shoplifting list, with the spirits most often pilfered being whiskey, champagne, and gin.
If you have received stolen property, you could be charged with a crime in California. Under California Penal Code Section 496, it is illegal to buy or receive stolen property.
Target has an active operation for catching shoplifters that includes video surveillance, undercover store security officers, and uniformed personnel posted at some of the exits. If store security believes that any items were hidden and taken out of the store, the customer is stopped and questioned.