Posted on 01/26/2015 4:01:52 PM PST by SMGFan
Many consumers don’t like it when stores check their receipts on the way out of the building, claiming it treats all shoppers like shoplifting suspects. But a trio of scammers had no problem showing their receipt at Lowe’s, running a multi-state shoplifting/return scheme for several months.
According to WAVE3, the men would start out from their home base in the Danville, KY, area and then drive the 90-ish miles to Southern Indiana, swiping stuff from various Lowe’s stores along the way.
But this wasn’t a simple matter of walking out of the store with power tools and hoping no one would notice. No, it actually involved someone first making a legitimate purchase of some pricey equipment
(Excerpt) Read more at consumerist.com ...
Gypsies?
bttt
Wal-Mart got scammed into selling PS4 consoles for $90 (update)
http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/19/7245707/wal-mart-got-scammed-into-selling-ps4-consoles-for-90
Happened here in Jersey City too. Black gypsy? http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2014/11/jersey_city_man_charged_with_l_2.html
Basically, they would buy tools, give the receipt to a second scammer walk out with more tools then drive to another store and sell them back for a refund.
A hefty amount to finance their drug addiction.
Its not that stores treat you as a shop-lifting suspect, its they want to ensure you have a legitimate reason to make a return or exchange. They don’t want to be scammed out of thousands of dollars.
It was a clever scheme but it backfired.
“Gypsies?”
Or the Aimish.
Other scam I have heard is to take a receipt you find in the trash, walk into the store take that item and go to the return desk.
Are those the folks that truly believe the ends justify the means?
I shred receipts. If they are important, store them for a time and shred when no longer needed.
Loss Prevention detectives probably noticed the pattern of a bunch of stuff being returned the same or next day at a different store and notified managers to watch for it. Repeat a scam long enough and you’re bound to be caught eventually.
This must have me confused. They buy a skill saw. Take it to the truck. Give the receipt to a buddy who goes into the store and picks up a saw and walks out without paying for it because he has the receipt. At this point they have two saws but only paid for one. Then they go to another store and turn the original equipment back in and get their money back. Now they have a saw they didn’t pay for. What do they do with it?
Why not just go back in the store, pick up a saw and take it to customer service with his friend’s receipt and get a refund. He has the money and the first guy is in the truck with a saw. And they didn’t have to drive anywhere.
What am I missing?
Plus, here in NY the receipt checkers not uncommonly mark the register receipt with a day-glo marker and/or put a puncture mark through the receipt to make sure that it cannot be used again in the manner described.
No, but more like 0bummer voters!
It’s always struck me as odd that these people can spend so much time and energy on something like this but not apply themselves to anything actually productive. They obviously could if they really wanted to.
Wow.... So simple, yet VERY clever.... and effective.
“”Plus, here in NY the receipt checkers not uncommonly mark the register receipt with a day-glo marker and/or put a puncture mark through the receipt to make sure that it cannot be used again in the manner described””
I’ve seen that done at Sam’s but didn’t realize THIS was the reason for it.
I’ve NEVER seen anyone check a customer’s receipt leaving Home Depot or Lowe’s....Only at Sam’s....
Yeah, if they would have changed up the items every two or three days, they’d probably still be doing it right now.
Same thing with the people who create viruses for computers. If you are that smart, why not use your brains for something constructive?
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