Criminal defense attorney Carrie Jernigan warns about the hidden risk of accidental shoplifting with self-checkout machines in her TikTok videos. She emphasizes that shoppers can face arrest for not scanning an item, even if it’s unintentional, as authorities may treat it as intentional theft.

Jernigan notes a shift in store attitudes, with a no-tolerance policy replacing previous leniency for overlooked items. Her concern is for innocent shoppers at risk of criminal charges for simple mistakes, and her TikTok campaign aims to raise awareness about this serious but often unnoticed risk associated with self-checkout systems.