Unmanned stores become cash machines! Shopee smart store was violently opened, experts call for "situational crime prevention"

Because Shopee smart stores are unattended, there are frequent reports of people breaking into them and stealing property. (File photo)

The unmanned business opportunity has sparked a craze, but it has also become a black hole for public security! A Shopee store was robbed yesterday (15th) in Lukang Town, Changhua County. In fact, all unmanned Shopee stores in Taiwan have been frequently targeted by gangsters in recent years. Taking advantage of the sparsely populated areas late at night or early in the morning, they use tools such as screwdrivers and grinders to break into stores. In the face of a series of thefts in unmanned stores, experts have called for starting from the "situational crime prevention theory", that is, borrowing the practice of bank ATMs to implement "face-based access control", which is the most effective solution.

In 2024, a group of thieves robbed all Shopee smart cashiers in Taiwan. They used tools such as screwdrivers to pry open the payment machines and then stole the property inside. The entire crime process only took about one minute, and at least 20 thefts were committed across Taiwan. In 2025, an entire self-service cash register in a Shopee smart cashmere store was removed in Hsinchu County. This year, payment machines in Chiayi, Hsinchu and Taoyuan were damaged one after another, and change and banknotes were forcibly seized.

Some experts pointed out that theft in unmanned stores satisfies many requirements innately from the daily activity theory of criminology. When a person who wants to commit a crime finds that this is a suitable target because there is no one around, and there are fewer people coming in and out during the late night hours, of course the crime will occur. Traditionally, this kind of unmanned storefront only relies on monitors, which is equivalent to deterring it after it happens. If it can be succeeded quickly and easily, it will continue to happen.

To solve this problem, the most important thing is to approach it from the perspective of situational crime prevention theory, which is to increase the time for committing a crime. For example, many bank ATMs currently require swiping your face to enter. When you want to leave, you have to spend time pressing the button or swiping your face again, so he will not be able to leave quickly. This prevention in advance is more important than turning the monitor over to the police for investigation afterwards.

The police seized electrical machinery, crowbars and other stolen evidence. (File photo)

The thieves disassembled the entire Shopee ATM using tools and moved it into a car. They took away the cash and then drove it to the beach for disposal. (File photo)

The thieves disassembled the entire Shopee smartphone using tools and moved it into the car. (File photo)