Nearly a third of Americans admit to shoplifting, survey finds

(InvestigateTV) — As prices climb, more Americans say they are willing to risk a criminal record to cover basic necessities. A new LendingTree survey of 2,000 Americans found 30% admit to shoplifting, up from 23% just a couple of years ago. Most respondents who shoplifted blame inflation and financial strain.Matt Schulz, with LendingTree, said the actual number is likely even higher than reported.“The truth is that the numbers are actually probably higher than what we state, because there’s certainly some people who have done it who aren’t going to admit that even anonymously in a survey,” Schulz said.Schulz said the findings are troubling for retailers and help explain why more stores are scaling back self-checkout options. He said the willingness to risk the consequences of shoplifting reflects how financially strained many households currently are.“What our numbers showed is that most people are doing this out of necessity, and they’re not stealing things like diamond necklaces from