Thief tries to steal almost €1200 of groceries at the self-scan, scans a €0.35 pudding instead

No bonus this time 🥲

We all know someone who has tried their luck at the self-scan, but one thief decided to scan a singular €0.35 tub of vanilla custard when attempting to steal €1193 worth of groceries at an Albert Heijn in Maarssen last Sunday.

According to NU.nl, the 23-year-old man scanned all of his items at the self-scan checkout but deleted the products before scanning a €0.35 custard dessert instead — that sounds like a great bonus. 

Caught in the act

The police certainly thought so, too. The thrifty thief did not get away with his insane korting and was caught in the act after staff in Albert Heijn alerted police to his suspicious scanning. 

The police at least saw some humour in the situation, creating an Instagram story of the receipts with the caption “This was his bonus”, referring to the thief’s failed attempt.

Among the items the man attempted to steal were salami, bread, cheese, various shampoos and over 40 other cosmetic products — not a great look if you ask us.  

No haul, not even a pudding

The products were returned to the shelves and the man, who has no residence or address, was brought away by police. 

Albert Heijn has also filed a report of shoplifting, meaning he will more than likely have to face a judge.

READ MORE | This is how often Dutch people steal from self-checkouts (yes, they do it)

The robbery highlights the ongoing concerns about the effectiveness of self-service checkouts and shoplifting in the Netherlands. 

In this case, however, the thief was perhaps a little too confident in their ability to fool the self-scan.

@maudwnr

I never dare to though… ♬ if that makes me a villain – sara

How do you feel about self-service checkouts? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image:Dreamstime
Christopher Conway
Christopher Conway
Chris hails from the beautiful (and occasionally rainy) Donegal, Ireland. With a degree in History and English under his belt, he’s now diving into an MA in Journalism. Having grown up in Ireland, he’s no stranger to a bit of rain, so the Dutch weather feels just like home to him. In fact, when it comes to Dutch rain, it’s like Ireland but with more bikes and fewer sheep!

2 COMMENTS

  1. Adding some facts about the self-service kasa system would have been interesting. How many people really do cheat the system and thieve from shops that way?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

VPNs in the Netherlands: The ultimate 2025 guide

The Netherlands’ fastest and most reliable VPNs enable you to protect your privacy online, access region-locked content, and securely browse the net. 🤳 Whether you’re...

11 books based in the Netherlands to add to your reading list

Can't get enough of the Netherlands? Here's a list of books based in the Netherlands that'll take you on a journey of bikes, cobblestones,...

Calls for Tesla tax surge while sales continue to plummet in the Netherlands

Once the sleek symbol of the electric future, Tesla is now falling seriously behind. Sales in the Netherlands plunged by over 60% last month...

It's happening