Best Buy

Guide by: scuzzy-elo 2003

Introduction

In this text, I will share information noted about the electronics store Best Buy.

Surveillance

I have noted most cameras around the DVD, CD, games, and software sections. They keep better surveillance on these areas because a smaller item is easier to conceal than a larger item. This leads me to my next note, which is that there are few to no cameras watching the television section. This would make a good area for doing “work” as I will discuss later.

As for actual workers, there are a few that walk around looking for customers to help. A simple “No. I’m fine”, will leave any worker free to go to the break room as their job of asking has been done.

Security

Most items are secured with anti theft devices. These will set off the alarms at the main doors.

There are a few personnel selected to watch the doors on either side, which looks something like this:

WDDWWDDW

W-Worker D-Door

These workers, in the stores I have visited, are usually teens that don’t seem to care too much about their job. If for some reason the alarms go off, after you go through measures to prevent this, I don’t think they would be too much of a problem.

Theft

Lets say that you wanted to take one of these so heavily guarded DVDs. First, you will need to make an opening device.

Materials

Razor blade (the short long type from a disposable razor)

White plastic fork (with reinforced neck)

Creation

Take a pair of scissors and cut the head of the fork off just above the first reinforcement, which should look like a horizontal line going across the neck. Now, remove one blade from the disposable razor. Take the blade and use it to cut two small slits in the centers of the two walls reinforcing the neck of the fork handle. Now wedge the blade into the slits with the sharp side pointing out. You should have a tool that crudely resembles a scalpel.

Procedure

Take your opener into your selected Best Buy, concealed in your pocket. Also have your other pocket lined with tissue.

Browse around the store a bit and make your way to the DVD section. Find one to your liking and look it over. Hold it down to your side in one hand and continue to browse the DVDs. Pick a few up and read the backs of them. This makes it look like you want to buy more.

Now, take your DVD to a corner of the television section and look around to make sure there are no workers in the area. Pull out your tool and press it firmly into the crack of the DVD case through the shrink-wrap and the label. Slide it around the crack of the DVD until there is a opening all the way around the case. Open the case, remove the disc and booklet, and stick them into your tissue-lined pocket. Now, close the case back and mash the edges of the plastic down so it looks closed from far off. Put your tool back in your pocket and go back to the DVD section. Browse through them a bit and make your way back to where yours came from. Put the DVD in the back of the row it was in and browse some more. Walk out the door.

Notes

I suggest you have a clean appearance about yourself. You will be monitored the entire time if you come in wearing your ripped jeans and Misfits t-shirt.

Alternately, you could use an X-acto knife but I found that the following could cause problems:

The X-acto has a cap and it would take more time for you to take off to use in the store.

If you kept the cap off, the point of the X-acto could stab you in the leg or stab your hand when you reach in to get it.

Could be mistaken for a weapon if searched for some reason.

With the plastic tool, you can remove the blade from the slits after use and have a cut up fork handle in your pocket, rather than a makeshift weapon. It is also hard to feel a short thin razor blade lying curved to your leg inside you pocket.

Disclaimer

The above text is for informational/entertainment purposes only. I do not suggest anyone do any of the activities mentioned above, nor do I do them myself. It is understood that I will not be held responsible for any damage/disturbances inflicted by actions described in this text.

you could take your item in the washroom(theyll see you), go in the oppisite sex's bathroom. They when security comes, take off your disguicse and run!

So basically take a DVD to the area where all the TVs are, cut up the case, and take the disc, put the case back and then walk out with the disk?

Well first if you're doing this for money to sell the DVD most stores won't buy it without the case, so I don't know how useful this scam is.

As for putting the disc back wouldn't that just be exposing yourself to the cameras again for no real reason? I'd just put the carved up case behind a TV or something.

It seems like you'd be better off sticking to a magic bag or downloading divx online. Maybe you can take pictures of your method of liberating the DVD, though wouldn't it be rather loud with all the crinkling of the plastic?

cross-one@ziplip.com

When putting the DVD back, you are actually liberating yourself from surveillance. If they see you take a DVD off the shelf, walk out of their view, then leave the store, they would have enough evidence to prosecute you.

If you give the illusion that you are returning the DVD back to its shelf, after you removed it in an area where they cannot see, then they have no evidence that you took the item.

With the noise, in most Best Buys, the televisions are playing very loud and would cover up most noise. If they're not loud enough, turn up the volume.

As for pictures of this device, they were lost when cleaning files from my hard drive. However, there is another device that is a variation of this one illustrated at scuzzy-elo.tk (http://www.scuzzy-elo.tk) titled "Theft Tools: DVD Opener" in the illustraded guides section. I believe it would work as well if not better.

Just wanted to give some confirmation. I did this with video games (ones without the security boxes). I didn't need a tool in that situation, as the plastic wrap was stretched tightly around the case and I happened to have unclipped fingernails.

I tried to do it again, but I couldn't slit open the plastic. I advise tying a paperclip around your finger with one end bent so it lines up with your outstretched finger. It looks like a ring from a top view of your finger (a cheap ugly ring..heh) but from the bottom it looks like a ring with a stick poking out towards your fingertip. You now can walk in, ready to slit open a DVD/game.

I also did this in the actual game/DVD section. All you have to do is hold other games or DVDs over the one you are stealing. Cameras aren't such a big risk if you do it that way.

So, yeah, this works, and was in fact my first "real" lift.



DISCLAIMER: ALL CRIMES AND CRIME METHODS MENTIONED ARE HYPOTHETICAL AND MEANT FOR ENTERTAINMENT

[This message has been edited by TheDragon (edited 08-13-2003).]

Over in my area, some kids cut their fingernails to a point. This way, they can easily slice open shrinkwrap and even some of those boxtop tape seals.

As for best buy, they are the only store that I know of which actively monitor cameras, and are not affraid to show it. This however, have a major flaw. At my local store, the man who monitors cameras is right at the front, in between the entrance and exit doors. All one has to do is pretend that a friend is lost inside and wait by this man, watching the cameras as he is. If you find him zooming in on a friend or becomes suspicious, quickly pull out that cellphone and warn your friend. This has indeed saved some serious ass before.

As for the alarmed boxes, I wonder if cutting them off will set off the alarm. Also, what about an aligator clip bypass? One can simply use 2 aligator clips and grind them into the wire by pinching, connecting these 2 aligator clips by wire, and slip the box out of the contraption with this extended wire you created. However, I am getting ahead of myself. Can someone that has experience either breaking or opening these security devices please advice?

As far as Best Buy cameras, I try to look at myself as though it were from a camera. From that I judge whether or not my actions are visible. I'm sure a camera could notice a movement as slight as a finger moving along the side of a DVD case. The thing is, the camera worker often won't even look at you unless your actions are obvious. I like to slit open the case in the middle of another action. Like, I'll lean over a rack as though I'm searching for something, and then I'll slit it open then.

So, the point is, a camera could see such a slight action, but the worker generally won't care much about you if you look like a normal shopper. Hence, they probably won't feel the need to zoom in.