Disclaimer: This post is for informative purposes only. We are not condoning any harmful and law-breaking activities.
Stores have employed security tags anti-theft devices for decades. They have a variety of goals, but one of the most popular is to deter shoplifting by making a product challenging to steal.
You can use security tags on many occasions where you need to ensure the safety of your valuables. These may include libraries, libraries, galleries, museums, and exhibitions.
A security tag can also be used on luggage while traveling on a plane or train. This ensures that luggage does not get lost or taken during transit through airports and railway stations.
Contents
There are a few different types of security tags used in retail stores.
The electronic article surveillance system is a type of radio frequency identification that uses radio waves to detect the movement of tagged items from their designated place in the store.
Ink security tags are used to deter shoplifting. They consist of two pieces held together by a pin and contain a sealed vial of dye. If the tag is forcibly removed by someone other than the retailer, the ink vial will break & bleed onto both pieces alerting whoever removes it that they should probably give it back.
In this case, an EAS system may look like it’s in place, but there are often no receivers for an antenna to communicate with.
Clothing Tags
Clothing tags include three different parts. The tag (which houses the receiver in the case of EAS), the pin (which goes through the garment), and the locking mechanism (which secures the pin in place).
Bottle Tags
These arrive in different shapes and sizes to suit various bottles- round for wine bottles, oval for champagne bottles, etc. The benefit of these is that they are straightforward to attach, whereas there is no need for water or chemicals to remove them from glass containers.
Optical Tags
Store the information in a tag-shaped piece of plastic attached to an optical item. Sunglasses are seen as an essential accessory for many people, and retailers should keep the security of their products in mind. Not only are they seen as valuable fashion items, but sunglasses are also one of the second most commonly targeted theft items in the apparel sector.

This one could be embedded inside the product on production (source tagging), and a magnet cannot neutralize them, and you must use a high-powered radio pulse.
Ways to remove a security tag:
All tags utilize the exact locking mechanism, a primary spring or rectangular clip. Sadly, there is no universal way to remove a security tag from clothing. Possible approaches include going back to the store and explaining what happened – if you have your receipt, you may be able to get a return or exchange. But if you are insisted on removing it yourself, you can try below:
Magnet
With a magnet, location it on the table and position the tag bottom side down on the magnet. Control the pin up and down, and it ought to come out. It would be best if you used a super-strong Neodymium block magnet or, even better, a golf tag remover.
Lighter
Use a lighter to soften the top part of the cone on the ink tag. It needs to take about 15 seconds. Rub the melted part of the cone off with a knife. Use the knife for protruding out the very first ball bearing. Carefully dart out the rest of the ball bearings. After the first one gets out, the others ought to quickly pop out. Then slide apart the two portions of the security tag. Once the ball bearings are fitted, the tag should split up quickly.

Screwdriver
Using a flathead screwdriver on a square tag, put the garments on a table or the flooring with the rectangle-shaped piece pointing up. Place the screwdriver along the side of the raised area of the tag. Press down hard so that you penetrate the plastic where the head lies.
Repeat around the raised area up until you can remove it. Take the screwdriver and lift it among the metal arms you can see, keeping the pin in place. The hook needs to slide through the hole, permitting you to safely part the security tag’s two pieces.
Rubber band
Using a giant rubber band, find where the pin is on the interior of your clothes beside the ink-cartridge part of the security tag. Wrap the elastic band around this pin several times till it is tight. Add a second elastic band if the very first one does not pop the two pieces apart.
An alternative:
- Place the ink cartridge on the opposite side of the pin, face down.
- Slip the rubber band around the hook, hold the more significant part of the tag with one hand.
- Extract the plug off with the other hand. The pin ought to eventually pop off or pull apart.
Needle-nose pliers

Secure the tag with the ink cartridge side up. Subsequently, hold one side of the tag with the pliers. Grip the opposite with another set of pliers. Gently flex each side. Don’t flex too tricky, or the tag will split and spill ink.
FAQs
Does aluminum foil stop sensors from going off?
In theory, it’s possible to stop an alarm from going off by covering the tags with conductive material. A great example of this would be the aluminum foil bag from the beginning of this slideshow. This happens because of a concept called “electromagnetic shielding.”
Detached from the items so nearby detector won’t catch the frequency, demagnetized, de-radioed, or turned off by clerk at a check point.
What are other security measures in the stores?
Many stores have a security guard to monitor their premises, and staff members are trained to watch out for suspicious behavior. From a source who works in a store, the security guard would watch CCTV from the back of the shop then go on patrol by sweeping around, so don’t even think of shoplifting. In some cases, they also employ fake customers as watchers.