Photo of fake sign in downtown SF appearing to mock CA retail theft law goes viral

SAN FRANCISCO ( KRON ) — A sign was posted a few days ago outside of the Louis Vuitton store in downtown San Francisco. Photos of the sign began to circulate on social media and have since gone viral — one X post having more than 7.7 million views.

The sign, which reads “stolen goods must remain under $950,” appears to mock retail theft law in California. In the state, retail thefts are prosecuted as a felony only if the value of the stolen items exceeds $950. Retail theft valued less than that is charged as a misdemeanor.

A San Francisco Department of Public Works spokesperson told KRON4 the sign was not put up by the city. The spokesperson added that a city worker was sent on Sunday to check out the sign.

However, by the time the worker was there, there was no sign located.

SFDPW did not confirm whether the sign was ever actually posted. A possibility was mentioned that the photo of the sign was either photoshopped or AI-generated.

Another photo of the same sign was also seen outside of the Dior store nearby, which was victim to a smash-and-grab last fall . Around $150,000 worth of items were taken from the luxury designer store.

The Dior store theft is one of many incidents of retail theft that have occurred in the Union Square area throughout the years. In 2021, the Louis Vuitton store was burglarized and looted.

KRON4 also reached out to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for more information. We are waiting for a response.

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