New scam to watch out for this holiday season!!!

GlockMeister · 11-18-2009, 06:45 PM

I was just emailed a new scam to watch out for. True or not, I suppose it can happen and with people hurting for money, it can't and won't hurt to be a little more diligent in checking your receipt, BEFORE THE SALE IS FINISHED.

Also, this is supposedly happening at Walmart. It can happen anywhere you use your cards and will once the scam becomes more well known.

PLEASE, DON'T IGNORE THE WARNING!!!

WATCH ALL STORE RECEIPTS FOR CASH BACK SCAM!!

This is not an indictment of Wal-Mart. This can happen at any store if you use your debit or credit card. With the coming of the holiday shopping season, this is a great reminder to take the time to check our receipts, make sure we get our credit cards back, and just try to slow down and be aware in a time where we are all in a hurry and a little
stressed out.

Stay safe, keep looking out for your neighbors and call the police about suspicious activity!!

Officer Ron Francis
Officer Jeff Wamboldt
Kenosha Police Department

A SCAM BEING CARRIED ON BY STORE CLERKS..

It happened at Wal-Mart a month ago. I bought a bunch of stuff, over $150, & I glanced at my receipt as the cashier was handing me the bags. I saw a cash-back of $40. I told her I didn't request a cash back & to delete it. She said I'd have to take the $40 because she couldn't
delete it. I told her to call a supervisor.

The supervisor came & said I'd have to take it. I said NO! Taking the $40 would be a cash advance against my credit card & I wasn't paying interest on a cash advance!!!!! If they couldn't delete it then they would have to delete the whole order.

So the supervisor had the cashier delete the whole order & re-scan everything! The second time I looked at the electronic pad
before I signed & a cash-back of $20 popped up. At that point I told the cashier & she deleted it. The total came out right. The cashier agreed that the electronic pad must be defective. Obviously the cashier knew
the electronic pad was defective because she NEVER offered
me the $40 at the beginning.

Can you imagine how many people went through before me & at the end of her shift how much money she pocketed?

Just to alert everyone. My co-worker went toWal-Mart last week. She had her items rung up by the cashier. The cashier hurried her along and
didn't give her a receipt. She asked the cashier for a receipt and the cashier was annoyed and gave it to her. My co-worker didn't look at her receipt until later that night.

The receipt showed that she asked for $20 cash back. SHE DID NOT ASK FOR CASH BACK!

My co-worker called Wal-Mart who investigated but could not see the cashier pocket the money. She then called her niece who works for the bank and her niece told her this.

This is a new scam going on.

The cashier will key in that you asked for cash back and then hand it to her
friend who is the next person in line.

Please, please, please check your receipts right away when using credit or debit cards! This is NOT limited to Wal-Mart, although they are the largest retailer so they have the most incidents

I am adding to this. My husband and I were in Wal-Mart and paying with credit card when my husband went to sign the credit card signer he just happen to notice there was a $20 cash back added. He told the cashier that he did not ask nor want cash back and she said this machine has
been messing up and she canceled it. We really didn't think anything of it until we read this email.

THIS SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE, AT ANY RETAIL OR
WHOLESALE LOCATION!!!

TexasT · 11-18-2009, 06:49 PM

Not that this can't happen, but snopes says it's false.

snopes.com: WalMart Cash Back Scam

GlockMeister · 11-18-2009, 07:01 PM

That's right, it can happen if you don't pay attention. Then, like it says, they'll give the cask to a friend in the line when they come up and do get cask back. They'll just get more then they are suppose to...

So, if you want to, you go right ahead and you listen to Snopes. Me, I'll take the little bit of time and check my receipt BEFORE I leave the cashier line.

nathangdad · 11-18-2009, 07:09 PM

yes - but know there is also a scam by the stores to put people into overworked positions for minimum wage and no benefits. To me this is a crime.

However, I do not believe in customers being cheated no matter how socially criminal the management.

BenchRest · 11-18-2009, 07:18 PM

It's already happened around these parts, check your receipt and your bank statements.

TexasT · 11-18-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlockMeister

That's right, it can happen if you don't pay attention. Then, like it says, they'll give the cask to a friend in the line when they come up and do get cask back. They'll just get more then they are suppose to...

So, if you want to, you go right ahead and you listen to Snopes. Me, I'll take the little bit of time and check my receipt BEFORE I leave the cashier line.

No need to be hostile or paranoid just saying that whatever people forward you in emails 99.9% of the time is false. I always take a look at my receipt and add things up in my head as I'm purchasing items. So you can take that somewhere else.

TACAV · 11-18-2009, 07:47 PM

Im not saying this is false... But personally Ive never seen it ask me for cash back with a credit card.

I swipe my card it asks Credit or Debit, and the cashier asks me the same thing, I press Credit. the cashier presses the same thing on their end, the pad asks me if the balance is correct (the total for my purchases) and I hit "Yes". Then I either sign on the keypad with the electronic pen or the receipt prints out and I sign it with a real pen. It never asks me for cash back.

Its the same process in grocery stores or anywhere else...

Im using a credit card... Maybe its different for people who use a debit card or a linked debit/credit card?

But then again for purchses I dont use debit in stores or online, as for fraud purposes its A LOT easier to report fraud/theft with a credit card and NOT be liable for the charges vs doing so with a debit card.

Ninja Piper · 11-18-2009, 08:35 PM

Whether its a true scam or not, I went to Walmart a few years ago and accidentally hit the $100 cash back button instead of the $40 option because the layout of the pad. I tried to tell them I didn't want $100, because I didn't have that much in my account at the time. Went to the store manager and they said that they couldn't cancel the cash back transactions and take the cash back.

This sounds like a scam that I heard from a friend of mine at work who is also a LEO. A cashier was pocketing the cash from people buying gas, then reporting them as drive-offs. She would then call her friends and then have them buy gas for that amount, and put the cash in the till from earlier.

G. Green · 11-18-2009, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasT

Not that this can't happen, but snopes says it's false.

snopes.com: WalMart Cash Back Scam

That was the first place i was headed after reading this.

Midas · 11-18-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G. Green

That was the first place i was headed after reading this.

SNOPES: busting chain letters since 1995

MLN1963 · 11-18-2009, 09:03 PM

I know that I use the cash back option at Wal-Mart weekly. My credit union issued me a check card and they DO NOT charge me a cash advance fee or interest on it. If I used my actual credit card that may be a different story.

I go in and buy anything (including a pack of gum) to use the cash back feature. This saves me from about three dollars in ATMs since my bank is in another state.

petrol · 11-18-2009, 09:33 PM

It seems like wise advice. it used to happen in restaurants and cafe's a lot too. it happened to my mother, a waitress decided the tip my mom left wasn't big enough so she just added some more. (my mom's a bit of a tight wad but that's just wrong).

another piece of good advice is don't shop at walmart.

BenchRest · 11-18-2009, 09:49 PM

On a lighter note I happened to be in Wal-Mart one day when the Brinks (or whatever money truck) was parked outside.
The alarm was going off, not an uncommon thing. The guard carrying the bags waited to get in the office.
He was told Policy states the office door can’t be opened while the alarm was going.
He replied After five minutes policy says I’m outta here!

I think they let him in.

GlockMeister · 11-18-2009, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasT

No need to be hostile or paranoid just saying that whatever people forward you in emails 99.9% of the time is false. I always take a look at my receipt and add things up in my head as I'm purchasing items. So you can take that somewhere else.

Wasn't being hostile.

Just letting you know you can do what you want and I can, and will do what I want. As for the paranoid remark, I don't see how posting something like this, true or not, to see or make sure that my fellow G&Ger's don't get ripped off, or at the very least, take the extra time to check, is paranoid?

As for paranoid:
If you think me taking the time to check and make sure, BEFORE I leave the cashier is paranoid, that's your opinion. But we all know about opinions...(And I'll put this as PC as I can)

Opinions are like public toilets. They're all over the place and they usually smell like crap.

All I wanted to do was make people aware. Times are tough. It's real close to the holidays. People tend to rip people off around this time as it is and this just seems like yet another easy way to do just that.

And it appears by benchrest's post, snopes.com just might be wrong?

GlockMeister · 11-18-2009, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchRest

It's already happened around these parts, check your receipt and your bank statements.

By the way, this be the post I spoke of...

GlockMeister · 11-18-2009, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petrol

It seems like wise advice. it used to happen in restaurants and cafe's a lot too. it happened to my mother, a waitress decided the tip my mom left wasn't big enough so she just added some more. (my mom's a bit of a tight wad but that's just wrong).

another piece of good advice is don't shop at walmart.

If it wasn't for me not having the cash to shop elsewhere and for Walmart carrying ammo. and me needing it, I'd probably do just that; stop shopping at Walmart all together.

Especially after reading this...

Walmart's Project Impact: A Move to Crush Competition - TIME

But then, maybe snopes.com says this too is false? lol

BunnyWabbit · 11-19-2009, 09:41 AM

The thing I hate about Walmart is that when they are ringing things up, it's hard to see the little screen. Then, it doesn't show a running total of items purchased, only the item they scan right then. When you are unloading your cart, it's hard to watch and if a product is not rang up at sale price and you don't catch it, it's your loss without having to go back and check the receipt which is time consuming. Grocery stores are better and I've caught lots of things that way.

Big Dog · 11-19-2009, 11:23 AM

And it appears by benchrest's post, snopes.com just might be wrong?

All too often. It isn't hard to catch them in error, when you actually KNOW the subject.

tommy · 11-19-2009, 11:35 AM

then pads do go out because it happened to me but i saw it as it was happening. i was going through the motions of swipeing my card and as i passed the pen thing over the no cash back screne it instantly clicked the 20.00 amount . i happened twice to me at diferent stores . sisne then when i go to hit the no cash back button i keep the pen as far away from the pad as possible then go straight at it a hit the no button.i don't think it's the stores fault it just seems to be a over sensitive touch pads

ArkansasHunter · 11-19-2009, 12:39 PM

I really don't believe this because you/we have to key the cash advance. I will believe it, if someone who knows if the register can do this transaction tells us so. Anyone here know for sure ???

If in fact the cash register does have the ability to allow the checker to do this then it needs to be removed for said reason's.

Thanks for the heads up, I will watch my transactions with my debit card, just in case...A.H

11-18-2009, 06:45 PM	#1
GlockMeister Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 10,374	New scam to watch out for this holiday season!!! I was just emailed a new scam to watch out for. True or not, I suppose it can happen and with people hurting for money, it can't and won't hurt to be a little more diligent in checking your receipt, BEFORE THE SALE IS FINISHED. Also, this is supposedly happening at Walmart. It can happen anywhere you use your cards and will once the scam becomes more well known. PLEASE, DON'T IGNORE THE WARNING!!! WATCH ALL STORE RECEIPTS FOR CASH BACK SCAM!! This is not an indictment of Wal-Mart. This can happen at any store if you use your debit or credit card. With the coming of the holiday shopping season, this is a great reminder to take the time to check our receipts, make sure we get our credit cards back, and just try to slow down and be aware in a time where we are all in a hurry and a little stressed out. Stay safe, keep looking out for your neighbors and call the police about suspicious activity!! Officer Ron Francis Officer Jeff Wamboldt Kenosha Police Department A SCAM BEING CARRIED ON BY STORE CLERKS.. It happened at Wal-Mart a month ago. I bought a bunch of stuff, over $150, & I glanced at my receipt as the cashier was handing me the bags. I saw a cash-back of $40. I told her I didn't request a cash back & to delete it. She said I'd have to take the $40 because she couldn't delete it. I told her to call a supervisor. The supervisor came & said I'd have to take it. I said NO! Taking the $40 would be a cash advance against my credit card & I wasn't paying interest on a cash advance!!!!! If they couldn't delete it then they would have to delete the whole order. So the supervisor had the cashier delete the whole order & re-scan everything! The second time I looked at the electronic pad before I signed & a cash-back of $20 popped up. At that point I told the cashier & she deleted it. The total came out right. The cashier agreed that the electronic pad must be defective. Obviously the cashier knew the electronic pad was defective because she NEVER offered me the $40 at the beginning. Can you imagine how many people went through before me & at the end of her shift how much money she pocketed? Just to alert everyone. My co-worker went toWal-Mart last week. She had her items rung up by the cashier. The cashier hurried her along and didn't give her a receipt. She asked the cashier for a receipt and the cashier was annoyed and gave it to her. My co-worker didn't look at her receipt until later that night. The receipt showed that she asked for $20 cash back. SHE DID NOT ASK FOR CASH BACK! My co-worker called Wal-Mart who investigated but could not see the cashier pocket the money. She then called her niece who works for the bank and her niece told her this. This is a new scam going on. The cashier will key in that you asked for cash back and then hand it to her friend who is the next person in line. Please, please, please check your receipts right away when using credit or debit cards! This is NOT limited to Wal-Mart, although they are the largest retailer so they have the most incidents I am adding to this. My husband and I were in Wal-Mart and paying with credit card when my husband went to sign the credit card signer he just happen to notice there was a $20 cash back added. He told the cashier that he did not ask nor want cash back and she said this machine has been messing up and she canceled it. We really didn't think anything of it until we read this email. THIS SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE, AT ANY RETAIL OR WHOLESALE LOCATION!!! __________________ "The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion." "Edmond Burke" Last edited by GlockMeister; 11-18-2009 at 06:47 PM.

11-18-2009, 06:49 PM	#2
TexasT Stop the insanity Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Somewhere. Posts: 7,278 Blog Entries: 18	Not that this can't happen, but snopes says it's false. snopes.com: WalMart Cash Back Scam __________________ I'm so evolved. I'm so involved. I'm showing growth. I'm so in charge. I'm CEO, and yeah, going GOD.

11-18-2009, 07:01 PM	#3
GlockMeister Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 10,374	That's right, it can happen if you don't pay attention. Then, like it says, they'll give the cask to a friend in the line when they come up and do get cask back. They'll just get more then they are suppose to... So, if you want to, you go right ahead and you listen to Snopes. Me, I'll take the little bit of time and check my receipt BEFORE I leave the cashier line. __________________ "The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion." "Edmond Burke"

11-18-2009, 07:09 PM	#4
nathangdad Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 5,781	Well, yes - but know there is also a scam by the stores to put people into overworked positions for minimum wage and no benefits. To me this is a crime. However, I do not believe in customers being cheated no matter how socially criminal the management.

11-18-2009, 07:47 PM	#7
TACAV Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,858	Im not saying this is false... But personally Ive never seen it ask me for cash back with a credit card. I swipe my card it asks Credit or Debit, and the cashier asks me the same thing, I press Credit. the cashier presses the same thing on their end, the pad asks me if the balance is correct (the total for my purchases) and I hit "Yes". Then I either sign on the keypad with the electronic pen or the receipt prints out and I sign it with a real pen. It never asks me for cash back. Its the same process in grocery stores or anywhere else... Im using a credit card... Maybe its different for people who use a debit card or a linked debit/credit card? But then again for purchses I dont use debit in stores or online, as for fraud purposes its A LOT easier to report fraud/theft with a credit card and NOT be liable for the charges vs doing so with a debit card. __________________ AR FS http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/firearms-listings/94532-ar15-target-rifle.html#post1113962

11-18-2009, 07:18 PM	#5
BenchRest Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: VA Posts: 342	It's already happened around these parts, check your receipt and your bank statements.

11-18-2009, 08:35 PM	#8
Ninja Piper Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Watertown, WI Posts: 846	Whether its a true scam or not, I went to Walmart a few years ago and accidentally hit the $100 cash back button instead of the $40 option because the layout of the pad. I tried to tell them I didn't want $100, because I didn't have that much in my account at the time. Went to the store manager and they said that they couldn't cancel the cash back transactions and take the cash back. This sounds like a scam that I heard from a friend of mine at work who is also a LEO. A cashier was pocketing the cash from people buying gas, then reporting them as drive-offs. She would then call her friends and then have them buy gas for that amount, and put the cash in the till from earlier. __________________ The "Safety Briefing" should NEVER be confused with the "Safety Dance"

11-18-2009, 09:03 PM	#11
MLN1963 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: SW OK Posts: 397	I know that I use the cash back option at Wal-Mart weekly. My credit union issued me a check card and they DO NOT charge me a cash advance fee or interest on it. If I used my actual credit card that may be a different story. I go in and buy anything (including a pack of gum) to use the cash back feature. This saves me from about three dollars in ATMs since my bank is in another state.

11-18-2009, 09:33 PM	#12
petrol Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lost Angeles Posts: 825	It seems like wise advice. it used to happen in restaurants and cafe's a lot too. it happened to my mother, a waitress decided the tip my mom left wasn't big enough so she just added some more. (my mom's a bit of a tight wad but that's just wrong). another piece of good advice is don't shop at walmart. __________________ If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately. Thomas Paine

11-18-2009, 09:49 PM	#13
BenchRest Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: VA Posts: 342	On a lighter note I happened to be in Wal-Mart one day when the Brinks (or whatever money truck) was parked outside. The alarm was going off, not an uncommon thing. The guard carrying the bags waited to get in the office. He was told Policy states the office door can’t be opened while the alarm was going. He replied After five minutes policy says I’m outta here! I think they let him in. Last edited by BenchRest; 11-18-2009 at 09:52 PM.

11-19-2009, 09:41 AM	#17
BunnyWabbit Go Jayhawks! Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Jayhawk Country Posts: 6,330	The thing I hate about Walmart is that when they are ringing things up, it's hard to see the little screen. Then, it doesn't show a running total of items purchased, only the item they scan right then. When you are unloading your cart, it's hard to watch and if a product is not rang up at sale price and you don't catch it, it's your loss without having to go back and check the receipt which is time consuming. Grocery stores are better and I've caught lots of things that way. __________________ I try to live life, that in the morning, Satan shudders & says 'Oh crap, she's awake!"

11-19-2009, 11:23 AM	#18
Big Dog Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 13,716	And it appears by benchrest's post, snopes.com just might be wrong? All too often. It isn't hard to catch them in error, when you actually KNOW the subject. __________________ "A bold spirit embiggens the smallest man!" Jebediah Springfield

11-19-2009, 11:35 AM	#19
tommy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: schriever la Posts: 4,969	then pads do go out because it happened to me but i saw it as it was happening. i was going through the motions of swipeing my card and as i passed the pen thing over the no cash back screne it instantly clicked the 20.00 amount . i happened twice to me at diferent stores . sisne then when i go to hit the no cash back button i keep the pen as far away from the pad as possible then go straight at it a hit the no button.i don't think it's the stores fault it just seems to be a over sensitive touch pads __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

11-19-2009, 12:39 PM	#20
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas. Posts: 18,224	I really don't believe this because you/we have to key the cash advance. I will believe it, if someone who knows if the register can do this transaction tells us so. Anyone here know for sure ??? If in fact the cash register does have the ability to allow the checker to do this then it needs to be removed for said reason's. Thanks for the heads up, I will watch my transactions with my debit card, just in case...A.H __________________ IN GOD WE TRUST NRA MEMBER Last edited by ArkansasHunter; 11-19-2009 at 12:42 PM.