In this deceptive practice, products are labeled or weighed in a manner that falsely indicates a greater weight than they actually possess.
[8][9] In 1910, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture wrote:[10] Several of the trade journals reaching this office have been waging a more or less aggressive warfare against the petty swindle of short weight in the grocery business.
It is very difficult to believe that any number of retail dealers are willing to resort to such petty cheating for the purposes of adding to their profits.
That some do, however, is shown by the facts put upon record by the men who are trying to break up the practice and by the action of several legislative and municipal authorities in moving toward the task of providing a remedy.
[11] To deter scale fraud, the USDS requires that stockyard owners, swine contractors, market agencies, dealers (including video auctions), packers, or live poultry dealers that weigh livestock, live poultry, or feed, must have their scales tested at least twice each calendar year.
[21] Freight weight fraud may also endangers carriers such as vessels and planes by shifting the center of gravity.