Gangs target retailers in insurance-claim ‘shoplifting’ scam

Shopkeepers have been warned about a new insurance scam whereby gangs goad them into making an accusation of shoplifting.

The issue has been highlighted in the Dáil as the latest threat to small retailers, which have already seen their insurance premiums rise substantially in recent years.

The scam involves a gang of people wandering around a shop and making a nuisance of themselves, picking up some items and putting back others. They buy ...