The real life Bling Ring: Underground network of young shoplifters posting detailed blogs of all the goods they have stolen on Tumblr outed

  • Online shoplifting community known as 'lifters' exposed by fellow blogger
  • Group uses hashtags like #fivefingerdiscount on Tumblr to connect with each other from all over the world and share photos of what they have stolen
  • Operate anonymously under screen names like Cash or Card
  • Rumored to have secretly been around for two years
  • Tumblr say it is not against their policies to boast about illegal activities but will cooperate in the event of an investigation

By Joel Christie

Published: 16:26 EST, 11 May 2014 | Updated: 16:27 EST, 11 May 2014


An online community of shoplifting bloggers who brag about their 'hauls' and exchange advice on how best to steal from stores has been exposed, with the network quickly dubbed 'the internet's Bling Ring'.

The once-under-the-radar 'lifters' - who have been likened to the seven L.A. teens who were charged for stealing from celebrity homes and immortalized in Sofia Coppola's Bling Ring - blog anonymously under names like Klepto Princess and Cash or Card and use hashtags such as #lifting and #fivefingerdiscount to link in with each other.

The group were outed by a fellow blogger called We-unhallowed, who noticed the trend quietly percolating on Tumblr and decided to publish a list of the screen names involved.

'I've heard our and their generations called ''entitled'' but it's articulated really well here when you read their text posts about how they steal because they ''deserve nice things'',' she wrote, listing over 20 lifting accounts.

#Haul: An underground network of mostly-girls and young women who boast about their shoplifting exploits online have been exposed, calling themselves 'lifters'

#Haul: An underground network of mostly-girls and young women who boast about their shoplifting exploits online have been exposed, calling themselves 'lifters'

The network of bloggers take to sites like Tumblr to post their 'hauls', which is the gaggle of stuff they have been able to lift. Seen here are expensive labels like Prada and Marni

The network of bloggers take to sites like Tumblr to post their 'hauls', which is the gaggle of stuff they have been able to lift. Seen here are expensive labels like Prada and Marni

The lifters blog anonymously and many feature disclaimers on their sites saying what they do 'is not true' in order to cover their tracks

The lifters blog anonymously and many feature disclaimers on their sites saying what they do 'is not true' in order to cover their tracks

One lifter said the lifter community has been bubbling for two years

One lifter said the lifter community has been bubbling for two years

Users are also fond of bragging about how much their collective 'haul' is worth by adding up the price tags of each stolen item

Users are also fond of bragging about how much their collective 'haul' is worth by adding up the price tags of each stolen item

The lifting community have been likened to the seven L.A. teens who were charged for stealing from celebrity homes and immortalized in Sofia Coppola's film The Bling Ring

The lifting community have been likened to the seven L.A. teens who were charged for stealing from celebrity homes and immortalized in Sofia Coppola's film The Bling Ring

But while some of the group have lapped up their web infamy, others have hit back at the 'bratty' Bling Ring comparison.

Stealer Moon, who was one of the bloggers named on the We-unhallowed list, said the assumption all those in the lifting community are 'white, well-off spoiled teens' was wide of the mark.

'I think the amount of girls who are white in this community are maybe ten or less, if that,' told Dazed.

'Many of us are young adults, many of us have jobs and work hard and still don't make ends meet.'

Stealer Moon, who described herself as a Hispanic art school student, said the lifting community had been around for two years and contains about 100 active users.

Other bloggers I spoke to estimate that there are only around one hundred active lifters in the community – the others are just curious onlookers.

Stealer Moon said she struggled to find a part-time job while her parents covered her college loans and housing and turned to stealing 'from companies I was sure it wouldn't really hurt'.

Before the lid was lifted on what they were doing, members of the network would share methods and stories with each other on how they steal, such as how to remove security tags using magnets and hooks, as well as what stores were easier than others.

According to an expose on Jezebel, a variety of stores, from Macy's to Pac Sun and Ultra, were mentioned.

The amount of stock boosted in one go is refereed to as a 'haul', and lifters would post pictures of their haul, along with how much it all cost, onto their blogs.

Not limited to clothes: A heap of 'hauled' food - including packets of sushi - and other products sit atop a Chanel scarf

Not limited to clothes: A heap of 'hauled' food - including packets of sushi - and other products sit atop a Chanel scarf

Lifters appear to have joined the community from all over the world, from major American cities to the midwest, from Australia to the UK

Lifters appear to have joined the community from all over the world, from major American cities to the midwest, from Australia to the UK

A stash of underwear and some clothes are posted to Tumblr

A stash of underwear and some clothes are posted to Tumblr

Make-up and accessories are a major part of the lifting community

Make-up and accessories are a major part of the lifting community

'Total damage since April 2014: $366.35' one wrote recently.

Tumblr said they have no guidelines when it comes to posting shoplifting, but said they would cooperate should there be an investigation.

'Posts depicting potentially illegal activity may not, in and of themselves, violate our policies,' a spokesperson told Jezebel.

 

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Many of the Tumblr sites have shut since the list was made public on Wednesday, out of fear that, like the Bling Ring of burglars, they would be caught.

'It's really hard to wrap my head around the fact that I've gotten away with so much in the past few days,' one user, Lux Steals, wrote.

Lifters say that once you get used to having free products and goods, its almost impossible to stop taking them

Lifters say that once you get used to having free products and goods, its almost impossible to stop taking them

Shoplifters of the world unite bling ring

Shoplifters of the world unite bling ring

'I feel extremely powerful, but at the same time, I feel like I'm going to be caught any second. I guess I don't make the most confident of shoplifters.'

Another, Lil Lifter, wrote: 'sometimes im really afraid that the shoplifting community will be outed and become like a viral joke on the internet or something.

'imagine the embarrasment (sic) if you are identified and everyone at school/work and your neighbours (sic) and family finds out.

'hopefully it will never happen and im just being paranoid.'

Tumblr say it is not against their policy to boast about criminal activity on the micro-blogging site

Tumblr say it is not against their policy to boast about criminal activity on the micro-blogging site

Comments (55)

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i feel sick to my stomach. so many people make a living selling or making the clothes/food/accesories that these losers feel they can just pocket it. what would happen if everyone just felt entitled to loot? society as we know it would end.

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Overpriced garbage.

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Good luck to them! Maybe be a little more discreet though from now on guys lol.

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They should get caught. It's not cool to steal even if they are billion dollar companies. Those thefts get prices raised for those of us honest enough to actually buy them. Stealing bread to feed your starving child is one thing, stealing "bling" for the heck of it is sick and needs to be punished.

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Americans think Belfast is in England lol

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Bull, it's in Maine

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And people wonder why taxes are so high. To make up for these sorry excuses for human beings. Sick

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I hope they get caught.

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It's not actually free. Companies raise their prices to compensate for stolen goods. People who steal are costing everyone who pays for it more money.

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We all know British chocolate is better than American chocolate. Have you ever tasted a Hershey bar? lol

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You mean you aren't owned yet?

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Though I'm an American (and proud to be one) I grew up eating the excellent chocolate from Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and England. As an adult I still prefer and buy chocolate made in those countries. However I would say the majority of Americans have only eaten the massed produced supermarket candy and don't realize how inferior it is.

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see when I look at the pics I think of all the employees that get blamed for the loss, I think about the guys running a company trying to feed their families and the employees and their families and how this eats into them eventually either through loss, or insurance cost. This isnt something to promote. Sexing it up is sick

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Yes, Prada feeding their families...

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