Archived How are they working this scam

[Frontlanegirl]

I had a couple in today at GS trying to return a couple high-value electronic items, close to $1,000.00. They had a receipt from a store from yesterday about 2 hours away. They said someone else had bought them and they were the wrong items. The transaction was paid half using a GC and the rest in cash. Alarming bells were going off and the guy was trying to talk to me the whole time. When I hit total the system said to give them cash. I just told them since it was half paid with a GC they would be receiving the refund on a GC. They ended up taking the items and left the store. Just trying to figure out how this scam works.

 

[NKG]

Im going to guess they are buying the gift cards with stolen credit cards or fake currency. They make a large purchase and then return for real cash. Making a profit.

 

[On6]

Most likely coupon fraud initially. They then no receipt returned the items for a gift card. Next they took the gift cards, along with additional cash, to purchase the electronics items. Then they come and return the items for cash.

They are tricking the system to force a full cash refund.

 

[pellinore]

In our store if there is a large amount for a return (electronics or any return over $100.00) we usually tell the guest that we have to get an OK from the manager to return that item......especially with no receipt......sometimes the guest just says "forget it" and leaves the store.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

Most likely coupon fraud initially. They then no receipt returned the items for a gift card. Next they took the gift cards, along with additional cash, to purchase the electronics items. Then they come and return the items for cash.

They are tricking the system to force a full cash refund.

I figured there was some fraud with the GC. How are they forcing a full refund with cash for the full transaction?

 

[Frontlanegirl]

In our store if there is a large amount for a return (electronics or any return over $100.00) we usually tell the guest that we have to get an OK from the manager to return that item......especially with no receipt......sometimes the guest just says "forget it" and leaves the store.

I love this. Most of the time we are told to follow the prompts.

 

[pinkp2ie]

In our store if there is a large amount for a return (electronics or any return over $100.00) we usually tell the guest that we have to get an OK from the manager to return that item......especially with no receipt......sometimes the guest just says "forget it" and leaves the store.

One time i had someone come up to me asking me to unlock a pair of beats in electronics for an exchange, and obviously i am not going to hand them over.
Brought him to GS, then he told me had no receipt and i was like I'm going to get the GSA to do it (since the GS-TM was working with someone and had people in her line) because it was so expensive, i think i wanted a confirmation also it was ok. But she told me "just do it". I don't remember the reason for the return, if it was defective that would be ridiculous lol.

 

[redeye58]

I figured there was some fraud with the GC. How are they forcing a full refund with cash for the full transaction?

IIRC, there was a formula that - if cash was used for up half (or slightly more) of the transaction then it could force (or give option) the refund in cash.

 

[EagleEye]

Here's how it works:

Guest buys two items at $500 a piece. Total: $1000
Guest pays $500 in cash FIRST, then $500 on a Target Gift Card. This makes the system refund the cash first in the event of a return. Bad cashiers don't take the GC first.
Then, guest does a return on one item same-day, getting their $500 cash back.
Guest then drives to another Target store and does another same-day return on the second item. System doesn't know the first return happened. $500 cash back as well.
Guest now has $1000 cash instead of $500 cash and $500 gift card.

It's a way of "cashing out" their fraudulently attained gift cards by either means of coupon fraud or credit fraud.


Here's how you prevent it: Always take cash as the final payment in a multiple tender transaction.

 

[icedjeff314]

I had a couple in today at GS trying to return a couple high-value electronic items, close to $1,000.00. They had a receipt from a store from yesterday about 2 hours away. They said someone else had bought them and they were the wrong items. The transaction was paid half using a GC and the rest in cash. Alarming bells were going off and the guy was trying to talk to me the whole time. When I hit total the system said to give them cash. I just told them since it was half paid with a GC they would be receiving the refund on a GC. They ended up taking the items and left the store. Just trying to figure out how this scam works.

I encountered this once. The guest did exactly this. She went to a store 35 miles away and purchased multiple iPads. Using a GC and cash. The same day as the transaction she drove to our store to return them and the register would prompt cash. She tried to be sly and return them one at a time so she could get cash. I caught on and signaled AP. They called the local Police. The lady about crapped her pants when she turned around at the cop was there with AP.

We stopped her ring... She had people buying like that at multiple stores and then doing returns at others to get money back. GC's were purchased using stolen CC's.

 

[Anelmi]

Here's how you prevent it: Always take cash as the final payment in a multiple tender transaction.

Except in the case of a cash/cc payment. You have to take the cash first and then they pay the balance on their card.

 

[Megaparsec]

The scam here is actually on them, because they do not get the fine product! I'm assuming it was a Zune, and those things are collector's items now. So, THEIR LOSS!!!!!

 

[Frontlanegirl]

Here's how it works:

Guest buys two items at $500 a piece. Total: $1000
Guest pays $500 in cash FIRST, then $500 on a Target Gift Card. This makes the system refund the cash first in the event of a return. Bad cashiers don't take the GC first.
Then, guest does a return on one item same-day, getting their $500 cash back.
Guest then drives to another Target store and does another same-day return on the second item. System doesn't know the first return happened. $500 cash back as well.
Guest now has $1000 cash instead of $500 cash and $500 gift card.

It's a way of "cashing out" their fraudulently attained gift cards by either means of coupon fraud or credit fraud.


Here's how you prevent it: Always take cash as the final payment in a multiple tender transaction.

So in this case the return was done over two days at two different stores a couple hours apart. Talked to my ETL about it and I was told to just follow the prompts. Grr....

 

[EagleEye]

Except in the case of a cash/cc payment. You have to take the cash first and then they pay the balance on their card.

You can key an amount and hit the key corresponding with a cc transaction and it will only charge that amount to the card. I would only recommend this if it's clearly suspicious, since the sketchy split payments are usually cash/GC.

 

[pellinore]

I encountered this once. The guest did exactly this. She went to a store 35 miles away and purchased multiple iPads. Using a GC and cash. The same day as the transaction she drove to our store to return them and the register would prompt cash. She tried to be sly and return them one at a time so she could get cash. I caught on and signaled AP. They called the local Police. The lady about crapped her pants when she turned around at the cop was there with AP.

How can this return happen....

I thought that you can only do "same day" returns at the store where the item was sold.....using the receipt. You can't look up a credit or debit card the same day because it hasn't posted in the system.
So, how can someone make two returns at two stores (on the same day) if the item hasn't posted yet?

 

[thetargetman]

I had a couple in today at GS trying to return a couple high-value electronic items, close to $1,000.00. They had a receipt from a store from yesterday about 2 hours away. They said someone else had bought them and they were the wrong items. The transaction was paid half using a GC and the rest in cash. Alarming bells were going off and the guy was trying to talk to me the whole time. When I hit total the system said to give them cash. I just told them since it was half paid with a GC they would be receiving the refund on a GC. They ended up taking the items and left the store. Just trying to figure out how this scam works.

I think you handled it as best you could. Those thieves belong in jail!

 

[icedjeff314]

The system will let you do a return the same day if cash is on the receipt as a payment. It's a weird loophole. The system as a whole needs overnight to be able to process the other forms of payment into the server from the store and then you can return anywhere.

 

[copycopy]

We always call AP over, this usually scares them away. Otherwise, we offer card only.

 

[Jeremy]

Also another part of the scam is they might have price matched the items after buying it as an adjustment. Then they go to all of local stores and buy return, buy return. If someone gets a price adjustment after the initial transaction is done it takes up to a day to full reflect the price, but a mark through and writing the new price and the date will usually deter it in the future. Had one guy get upset and complain because I wrote a price adjustment

 

[Frontlanegirl]

We always call AP over, this usually scares them away. Otherwise, we offer card only.

Wish we did this in our store. Sometimes we have no AP

 

[GlitterBerries]

Here's how it works:

Guest buys two items at $500 a piece. Total: $1000
Guest pays $500 in cash FIRST, then $500 on a Target Gift Card. This makes the system refund the cash first in the event of a return. Bad cashiers don't take the GC first.
Then, guest does a return on one item same-day, getting their $500 cash back.
Guest then drives to another Target store and does another same-day return on the second item. System doesn't know the first return happened. $500 cash back as well.
Guest now has $1000 cash instead of $500 cash and $500 gift card.

It's a way of "cashing out" their fraudulently attained gift cards by either means of coupon fraud or credit fraud.


Here's how you prevent it: Always take cash as the final payment in a multiple tender transaction.

The stores around me won't return anything same day if purchased from another store. It has to be 24 hours even with a reciept.

 

[BrohemianRapcity]

Here's how it works:

Guest buys two items at $500 a piece. Total: $1000
Guest pays $500 in cash FIRST, then $500 on a Target Gift Card. This makes the system refund the cash first in the event of a return. Bad cashiers don't take the GC first.
Then, guest does a return on one item same-day, getting their $500 cash back.
Guest then drives to another Target store and does another same-day return on the second item. System doesn't know the first return happened. $500 cash back as well.
Guest now has $1000 cash instead of $500 cash and $500 gift card.

It's a way of "cashing out" their fraudulently attained gift cards by either means of coupon fraud or credit fraud.


Here's how you prevent it: Always take cash as the final payment in a multiple tender transaction.

This is why our new ETL- AP has told all of us to start not accepting same-day returns for whatever reason.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

This is why our new ETL- AP has told all of us to start not accepting same-day returns for whatever reason.

I want your ETL-AP