Answered How does this scam work?

[NecrosSkya]

I've only worked a guest service for about a month and a half and something I've noticed is that once in a great while a customer will come in (usually Asian) And try to return a large amount of expensive electronics all still in the package completely unopened. (cameras, apple products, etc...). It will always be paid for with multiple target gift cards and from a different store fairly far away. Anytime someone like that comes in somebody more experienced than me will tell them they have to take it back to the target they bought it at and the person will just accept the answer and leave. My question is what are they trying to accomplish by doing these returns? Is it a credit card fraud thing or are they buying them discounted and trying to return them at full price I just don't get it

 

[dabug]

Did they have receipts? How unopened were they? Tightly sealed plastic wrap or suspected re-wrapping? Did you open the boxes up? My guest service team doesn't open up 90% of the boxes they accept for return.

 

[NecrosSkya]

Did they have receipts? How unopened were they? Tightly sealed plastic wrap or suspected re-wrapping? Did you open the boxes up? My guest service team doesn't open up 90% of the boxes they accept for return.

They had the receipt and most items had the shrinkwrap on them anything that didn't I started opening up and everything seemed to be there

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

It's a scam. Refuse the return & tell ap.

 

[BurgerBob]

Yea those sound like the other side of the resellers we get in tech... they usually target apple items

 

[Anelmi]

I have been wondering the same thing!

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Open up apple and check serial. Even if shrinkwrapped. If it’s same day diff store deny

 

[Dream Baby]

I have heard that they use stolen credit cards to buy $500+ gift cards then use them to buy electronics.

I had someone wanted to buy FOUR Ipads once using gift cards and they only reason they denied it is because they limit quantities. They sold them two.

I am always suspicious when someone comes in and wants to buy a bunch of expensive electronics without asking any questions about the product.

As to returns I would think it would make the store look bad if you keep allowing the return of expensive returns.

I always open packages of expensive returns because I got scammed once by someone returning a small book case that was just full of junk.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

I have heard that they use stolen credit cards to buy $500+ gift cards then use them to buy electronics.

I had someone wanted to buy FOUR Ipads once using gift cards and they only reason they denied it is because they limit quantities. They sold them two.

I am always suspicious when someone comes in and wants to buy a bunch of expensive electronics without asking any questions about the product.

As to returns I would think it would make the store look bad if you keep allowing the return of expensive returns.

I always open packages of expensive returns because I got scammed once by someone returning a small book case that was just full of junk.

We get apple switchers all the time. There’s an iPad in there, but it’s an iPad 2 instead of iPad Pro. Serial numbers are there for a reason!

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Scammer buys watch with a stolen gift card, tries to return it 10 mins to get a clean gift card. We know it & deny the return.

 

[seasonaldude]

Scammer buys watch with a stolen gift card, tries to return it 10 mins to get a clean gift card. We know it & deny the return.

Yep. It's essentially money laundering. The initial transaction is often traceable. Once they've made the return and gotten a new gift card, it's harder to trace. The more times they do it, the harder and harder it gets to trace. Eventually, they're going to sell the gift card at less than face value and get cash. Virtually untraceable cash.

 

[Loading]

I was wondering the same thing about this, I told my AP about three separate encounters and he said he would look into it. That was three days ago now my GSTLs are telling us that it is a scam but to still do the return and just reprint the receipts once the guest has left. I think rejecting the return would be better IMO but we are told to never confront guests about stealing.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

I was wondering the same thing about this, I told my AP about three separate encounters and he said he would look into it. That was three days ago now my GSTLs are telling us that it is a scam but to still do the return and just reprint the receipts once the guest has left. I think rejecting the return would be better IMO but we are told to never confront guests about stealing.

Honestly if you call for manager or ap they’ll get nervous and leave usually

 

[BurgerBob]

We reprint the receipts for ap to build a case. Could be doing the same...