Rev. Bill Crews speaks to money expert Richard Whitten from Finder about the rising cost of living causing people to scan items incorrectly at checkouts.

Thievery of everyday items is on the rise as the cost of living crisis deepens, according to new research from comparison site Finder.

A nationally representative survey of 1010 respondents revealed almost 1 in 5 (19%) Australians – equivalent to 3.8 million people – admitted to stealing staples in the past 12 months.