united-states
When a person intentionally misrepresents items to a self-checkout machine to save money, what crime is being committed?
<p>There are plenty of ways that people &quot;trick&quot; self-checkout machines into giving them discounts.  Some popular ways include:</p>
<ol>
<li>When the machine asks what item is being weighed, intentionally choosing a cheaper item.</li>
<li>When the machine asks for quantity, intentionally underrepresenting the quantity chosen.</li>
<li>Using the barcode of a cheaper item and placing a more expensive item in the basket.</li>
<li>Using online applications to generate fraudulent manufacturer discount coupon barcodes, and feed them to the machine as legitimate coupons.</li>
</ol>
<p>What is the actual crime and/or tort being committed when people do this?</p>

<p>Yes, a crime is committed as is a tort. The exact crime would vary from state to state. The most common description of this crime and tort would be &quot;fraud&quot; but the way that criminal conduct is allocated between particular offenses in states varies considerable. Theft (in jurisdictions where it is broadly defined) and shoplifting (in jurisdictions where it is a distinct offense) would be two other plausible offenses.</p>
