Cherepovets girl tries shop theft after TikTok

In June 2025, a 14-year-old eighth-grader and a friend under 14 attempted to openly steal products from a supermarket in Cherepovets (Vologda Oblast, Russia). The girls filled a basket with instant noodles, sweets, energy drinks, and other items totaling about 1,800 rubles (roughly $18 at current exchange rates). Approaching the self-checkout, one teenager pretended to scan the goods while the other packed them into a backpack. A cashier noticed their suspicious actions and demanded payment. The schoolgirls claimed they had already paid and tried to leave, but store employees detained them. Later, the parents of one girl compensated for the goods.

The court charged the 14-year-old schoolgirl with attempted robbery. The defendant pleaded guilty and repented, explaining that the idea for the theft came from a TikTok video. The judge considered her voluntary confession, positive character references, and minor age. She was sentenced to 60 hours of community service, but the court later reclassified the crime from serious to medium severity and released her from punishment due to active remorse.