Assets Protection *URGENT* I need to know if this has happened in your store

[pyro]

So today I started my shift in electronics unbeknownst to just how many iPads, Apple Watches, Apple Pencils, and Nintendo Switches we were gonna lose. About 3 groups of oriental people came in around 4-6 PM and all asked for certain iPads, Apple Watches, Apple Pencils, and Nintendo Switches. The trend was very weird, each of them had a lot of $500 gift cards in their Target wallet and they all had TM ID's for the 10% discount on the purchases. Too bad I didn't catch the TM ID or else I would've written it down, but I need to know if this has happened at any other store because it's been bothering me since I sold all of those iPads to those guests. There was only 1 other occasion where this happened where an oriental dude came into my store, asked for a shit ton of Nintendo Switch stuff, 2 lites, 2 regular, and a shit ton of expensive ass accessories. He had tons and tons of $500 gift cards and he did certain purchases separately, each time switching his wallet around. I don't know whether this is just around my store or what, but the only people I've seen with these insane amount of gift cards in their wallet and with the 10% TM discount code were oriental people.

Bonus: I actually started messing with the last guy. This is the guy that bought the most. I asked him questions like "so what do you do for a living to be able to afford all of this and have all of these gift cards?" He holds up his hands like he's driving. That's another thing, too, none of these people speak proper English, it's extremely broken. So he does Uber for a living, which understandably can bring in a fair amount of cash, but then I saw the TM ID in his wallet and I said "Oh? You work for Target? I thought you worked for Uber?" He remained silent and took the TM ID off of his wallet in shame the very next purchase. And they all didn't practice hygiene at all. One dude smelt like he shit himself and the other obviously didn't know how to brush. It was nasty. Pretty scary stuff though. My speculation is that they're involved with a social security scam and people are submitting $500 Target gift cards to them to "clear their name", but that's just me.

 

[RTCry]

First of all, Asian not Oriental. And yes, it’s a well-known scam. I am assuming the gift cards are from the IRS/Your Kid’s In Jail scam that are viral. What we’ve done is limit their purchases to one of each item and you can ask for the actual TM discount card/ID instead of just scanning the wallet.

And let AP know ASAP.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Limit 1 per guest. Also, ask for the actual discount card & id. Get ap to the boat.

 

[BoxCutter]

Yep. We mostly got rid of them by limiting purchases to one and enforcing TM discount rules: they must be the TM or an eligible dependent and asking for the physical TM Discount Card. Your store's AP should already be involved in this.

 

[redeye58]

Unless they work at our store (& I recognize them), they have to present their physical TM card.

 

[Formina Sage]

I asked him questions like "so what do you do for a living to be able to afford all of this and have all of these gift cards?"

Even if he is a scammer, this is super unprofessional and definitely none of your business. Just do your job.

First of all, Asian not Oriental.

also, this. It’s not the 1940s.

 

[happygoth]

The term ‘Oriental’ is outdated, but is it racist? - https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-tsuchiyama-oriental-insult-20160601-snap-story.html

 

[PackAndCry]

ARRESTED: Scammers posed as IRS agents and demanded payment in Target gift cards - https://www.crimeonline.com/2019/09/22/arrested-scammers-posed-as-irs-agents-and-demanded-payment-in-target-gift-cards/

 

[DBZ]

And about 15 minutes prior, a guest got scammed out of $2000 somewhere. Those are the people who spend the money in the store before someone catches on and calls the target gift card hotline. These people will also price match at GS when best buy is doing a sale. The TM # is probably not someone they know and the TM whose # is being used probably has no idea.

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

I dealt with this quite a bit when I was an Electronics TL way back. This has been going around for ages.

It's a money laundering operation.

The "dirty" gift cards are either scammed or purchased using illegitimate or illegally obtained funds.

These dirty gift cards are exchanged for goods, which are then sold for cash.

The process changes the dirty money to legitimate money. The reason they target electronics is that these items are easy to turnaround quickly, and the type of people who generally pay cash for things like this are easy targets.

The TM number is basically just a bonus. Your AP can pull the transaction and trace the number back to an individual.

Also Oriental food, not people. People are Asian, specifically East-Asian if you're referring to places like Japan/Korea/China etc.

 

[TM2]

I dealt with this quite a bit when I was an Electronics TL way back. This has been going around for ages.

It's a money laundering operation.

The "dirty" gift cards are either scammed or purchased using illegitimate or illegally obtained funds.

These dirty gift cards are exchanged for goods, which are then sold for cash.

The process changes the dirty money to legitimate money. The reason they target electronics is that these items are easy to turnaround quickly, and the type of people who generally pay cash for things like this are easy targets.

The TM number is basically just a bonus. Your AP can pull the transaction and trace the number back to an individual.

Also Oriental food, not people. People are Asian, specifically East-Asian if you're referring to places like Japan/Korea/China etc.

This does happen legitimately too, as people make a living from buying sale items and reselling them. It's not allowed at Target, but perfectly legal.

 

[Tessa120]

@pyro This has happened at least 4 times on two different days and you've said nothing to AP or leadership? Just a loud "I have no real knowledge of what these people are doing, I did not know better, I am innocent" on an anonymous forum that is likely watched by corporate.

Multiple trips, multiple days, nothing said to AP, that's not looking good for you.

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

This does happen legitimately too, as people make a living from buying sale items and reselling them. It's not allowed at Target, but perfectly legal.

Resellers in my experience also operate illegally. The reason why they ALWAYS pay with cash or gift cards is to remove the paper trail.

Legitimately reselling something has a tax implication, you would be liable for capital gains tax on the profit. Removing the paper trail essentially removes the audit trail for the IRS. It's money laundering in a sense, tax evasion by proxy.

A legitimate business operating as a reseller would use a business credit card as your overhead for tracking your profit and loss would be significantly easier this way.

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

@pyro This has happened at least 4 times on two different days and you've said nothing to AP or leadership? Just a loud "I have no real knowledge of what these people are doing, I did not know better, I am innocent" on an anonymous forum that is likely watched by corporate.

Multiple trips, multiple days, nothing said to AP, that's not looking good for you.

In his defense, if his AP team isn't flagging multiple high dollar purchases via gift card and the rapid reduction in stock of these items they are morons.

 

[Kartman]

First of all, Asian not Oriental.

Jesus Fucking Christ! Splitting hairs, are we?

It's cool - I'm a senile old boomer...

 

[Staffwoman]

Jesus Fucking Christ! Splitting hairs, are we?

It's cool - I'm a senile old boomer...

Maybe I'm blind, but most of the people in Japan do not resemble people in Oman, both of them in Asia, and therefore, Asian.

 

[Kartman]

I'm talking normal conversation when the person isn't a world traveler or an expert on nationalities and is just talking.

 

[Calico Tapeworm]

I’m a aging boomer too, but yes, the term
Is Asian, not Oriental. By using those terms and then adding your take on how badly they smelled had nothing to do with the crime that the most likely committed.
Just report the facts, sir, unless you are asked when filing a report to the authorities.

 

[RedcardReba]

Jesus Fucking Christ! Splitting hairs, are we?

It's cool - I'm a senile old boomer...

I'm a boomer, too, but goodness, I didn't know anyone still talked like that.

Think that slang went out with Charlie Chan movies!

 

[Kartman]

It was a casual slip of the tongue, lordy. Sometimes I don'ts speaks perfects, to!

 

[IWishIKnew]

It was a casual slip of the tongue, lordy. Sometimes I don'ts speaks perfects, to!

Repeated use of a term isn't a slip of the tongue. In this case, the corrections have been just that--correction of someone using an outdated term that pings racist for many, assuming that pyro may not be aware of the connotations. NBD.

Stuff like this is why I don't like covering electronics. We're supposed to assume that guests aren't lying or scamming but are also responsible for helping stop those who are. In pyro's case I'd have called AP as soon as the group showed up and asked for more than one item (TMs have been burned by thieves working together in the past at my store), but in many situations it can be really hard to tell what's a scam and what's not and how your biases (conscious or unconscious) might play into it.