The bottom line

Shoplifting rises 6 percent; Bogus Medicare claims cost over $47 billion; Madoff auction takes in $900,000; Retails sales down 8.2 percent; Thanksgiving dinner will cost less this year

Shoplifting rises 6 percent

The global recession has sparked a 6 percent increase in shoplifting, an international business group reports, costing merchants nearly $115 billion. “In addition to the usual criminals,” said Joshua Bamfield of the Center for Retail Research, “you have lots of newcomers to stealing who figure they don’t run much risk at getting caught.”

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