A Black TikToker says she was racially profiled at Walmart and accused of stealing everything she bought. She said that when she was leaving Walmart after having checked out, a greeter checked her receipt and said that the bar codes were not “matching up.”
“In Walmart this man said I was stealing,” TikTok @quonaboo wrote in the video’s overlay text. “This the second time they checking my baggg this is crazy.” She added that she was “embarrassed” and “pissed.”
The video, which has received almost 2 million views, shows a Walmart employee looking through @quonaboo’s purchases in Walmart plastic bags.
“That some bullshit, they racist as fuck with they white ass,” @quonaboo says to the employee. “You are very racist.”
She then tells him that she would like to return everything she just bought and that what he is doing is harassment.
“SHOPPING WHILE BLACK,” she captioned the video.
In a follow–up video, @quonaboo reveals that she was able to return all the items and get her money back.
“Moral of the story,” she wrote in the video’s caption. “I was not stealing.”
For context, the TikToker reposted her original video with a voiceover explaining what happened before she started recording: Police, she alleges, arrested a white person for stealing from Walmart, and she made a remark about someone stealing and not being Black. Then, she says employees began to follow her around the store.
“They started hunting me down in the store, following me around, making sure I rang up everything, they already checked my stuff when I ringed it up the first time and they said everything was on there,” she says in the reposted video. “So then I get to the door and the dude’s like, ‘No, you’re stealing these diapers and the wipes.’”
Some commenters on @quonaboo’s original video suggested she get a lawyer.
“Very wrong,” @ckmomma2 commented. “Get a lawyer!”
“Get an attorney ASAP,” @xpaidactor commented. “A friend of mine got 50K bc they did the same thing.”
@certifiedkarenn, who identified themselves as a lawyer, alleged that employees can ask to check a customer’s bags, “but you have every right refuse.”
“Furthermore they cannot illegally false imprison you for trying to leave after PAYING.”
Others were suspicious of the man shown going through @quonaboo’s purchases.
“He doesnt even look like he works there,” @sassyshellann commented. “I would ask him to show me ID.”
“Some people get a little bit of power and want to act like they something special,” @jamiesafford wrote.
“And while they’re harassing you. Other people are really stealing,” @littoti commented.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @quonaboo via TikTok comment and Walmart via email.
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