evidence: Have you seen photos on social media of a street sign that reads, "Notice, Stolen goods must remain under $950″? The photos were taken in San Francisco and appear to be referring to a right-wing disinformation campaign that claims theft has been legalized in California. But the signs weren’t put there by any government entity. They’re a prank. [...] What’s the idea behind the sign? It’s most likely a reference to the fact that the state of California raised the threshold for when shoplifting goes from a misdemeanor to a felony back in 2014. The threshold in California is $950, which some people think is too high. Fox News has done several segments on the topic, claiming that California has "legalized" shoplifting, which is complete nonsense. The idea is fueled by cellphone videos aired by conservative media that give viewers the impression that theft is non-stop in the state. [...] Given the number of fake official-looking signs that have sprung up in San Francisco over the past decade, it seems unlikely we’ll ever learn who was behind the "stolen goods" sign that’s been going viral in recent days. All we can say for sure is that it’s not a real sign put out by the city. And despite what you might see on Fox News or X, retail stores in California aren’t really a lawless Mad Max hellscape. You have to drive the freeways in L.A. to experience that.