Alright, folks, you know Walmart takes shoplifting seriously when they hit you with a “nationwide” ban. That’s exactly what happened to Ashley Cross, a Tennessee woman who has officially been blacklisted from “all” 4,600 Walmart stores across the country after pulling off a barcode scam at self-checkout.
Now, let’s talk about how she got caught. According to police, Cross was running an old but effective trick—scanning expensive items with a cheap barcode to pay a fraction of the price.
In this case, she used the barcode from a “watch battery” to ring up multiple items for just a “buck” each. And what was she trying to swipe? A pair of jeans, a t-shirt, some boots, and—because no heist is complete without it—”eleven packs of ramen noodles.” The grand total? $137.34.
She wasn’t alone in this little shopping spree, either. Another woman with her was busted for stealing “$57.86” worth of items, including two bras. But here’s where things take a turn: because Cross has a “history” of theft, Walmart isn’t taking any chances.
She’s now permanently banned from “every” store in the chain. That means no more Walmart runs “anywhere”—not for groceries, not for clothes, not even for a last-minute pack of gum.
Walmart, for its part, issued a statement making it clear they don’t play around when it comes to shoplifting. ““Though rare, there are instances when someone is no longer welcome in our stores.”” Translation: if you make it a habit of stealing from Walmart, don’t expect a warm welcome next time you walk through those sliding doors.
Cross was charged with criminal trespass and theft of merchandise under $1,000. Right now, she’s sitting in jail on a $7,500 bond, waiting for her court date on February 19.
Now, if you’re wondering why Walmart is cracking down so hard, here’s the deal—shoplifting has become a “huge” problem for the retail giant. Self-checkouts, in particular, have been a “major” weak spot.
That’s why Walmart has started taking extra measures to curb theft, including manually checking receipts, using handheld scanners, and even rolling out invisible barcodes that register automatically when an item is moved over the scanner.
Bottom line? If you think you can outsmart Walmart’s theft prevention systems, think again. As Ashley Cross just found out, the “real” price of stealing from Walmart isn’t just a trip to jail—it’s getting banned from the store “forever.”
