If you’re on social media at all, you’ve likely come across innumerable videos of people shoplifting out in the open as if it was as natural as walking through a park. The videos often contain people casually putting things into a bag and walking out calmly.
Very rarely do you see anyone actively stop, or even try to stop, some of these shoplifters.
However, one mystery woman in Portland has quickly gathered a reputation as a shoplifter’s worst nightmare. At this time, it’s still a mystery what her name is or what craft store she worked at, but her TikTok alias goes under the handle “bworrrd” but lists her name as “B Word.”
Her TikTok has only three videos uploaded, but each of them has sailed past one million views, including her first one which has a whopping 8.7 million. In each of them, the hero woman is seen stopping shoplifting women and commanding them to drop their stolen items, sometimes forcefully if need be.
The first video shows a pink-haired woman being confronted for stuffing her canvas bag full of stolen items. Initially, she agrees to give the items back but it’s clear that she’s intent on walking out with most of the items. “B Word” isn’t having it and forcefully grabs the bag. During the scuffle, a woman threatens to call the police on “B Word” to which she replies “call them right now.”
Instead, the other woman just films the interaction. Eventually, the bag is upended and tons of merchandise spills to the floor. From here you watch a pattern develop through the videos. The people doing the stealing seem to believe themselves to be the victims. The pink-haired woman attempt to guilt “B Word” with claims of assault, but it was clear she wasn’t moved. Eventually, the woman walked out, and “B Word” told the woman filming her and threatening to call the police that she could go to.
@bworrrd Just another day in Portland… I did this job for 8 years and loved (most of) it. #shoplifter #portland #tweaker #product #recovery #tears #lol ♬ original sound – B Word
A second video is seen with a woman attempting to walk about with a bag full of stolen goods and a few more items. “B Word” stops the woman at the exit and tells her that she has everything on camera. After the woman walks back in and sets down the items, “B Word” commands the woman to open her bag and take everything she stole out of it. You see a repeat of events from the first video. The woman initially refuses and tries to leave before a brief scuffle opens and the bag is eventually upended. As the woman gathers her things to leave she too plays the victim to which “B Word” reminds her that she’s the one stealing.
@bworrrd Because everyone takes over $1,000 worth of unpaid merchandise outside to get their debit card … #holiday #shoplifter #purse #dump #busted #portland ♬ original sound – B Word
Videos containing text shed light on this hero from Portland. She had apparently worked for the store as a loss prevention employee for eight years. She no longer works at the store but says she wasn’t fired. According to her, everything she did was legal and while she was definitely stern, if they didn’t give her trouble she never touched them. This is demonstrated in the third and final video she posted.
@bworrrd For those of you who came at me … this is how most of my interactions went when I did this job. I no longer work there. I was NOT fired. Everything I did was 100% legal (its different per state/store) and unless they gave me trouble I never touched them. #dontcomeforme #lossprevention ♬ original sound – B Word
This is definitely what more stores need, employees specifically hired to seek out and stop shoplifters. While not every shoplifter is going to be a self-victimizing middle-class woman, the solution is presented in its simplicity through “B Word’s” videos. Hire a large, intimidating person who isn’t afraid of a little physicality, and have them watch for and confront shoplifters. Eventually, people will learn that going into that store to steal is a bad idea.
Sadly, shoplifting has become a massive problem in our society. According to KGW-TV, one privately owned high-end store in Portland is shutting its doors for good after thieves made off with expensive name-brand bags resulting in a $56,000 loss. Major stores such as Walgreens and CVS are shuttering locations in blue cities like San Francisco over rampant shoplifting. Walmart is closing its two stores in Portland down over the issue.
It clearly needs to be stopped, but there first needs to be people like “B Word” given the room to stop it.
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