CASH Back on charge card SCAM

[H. John Kohl]

This sound feasable and easy to pull so CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS every time. I am not dumping on the stores just the process.

This sounds like a potentially profitable scam:

It happened to me at Wal-Mart (Supercenter Store #1279 , 10411 N Freeway 45, Houston, TX77037) 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. Supervisor came & said I'd have to take it. I said NO! Taking the $40 would be a cash advance against my Discover & 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 to Milford DE Wal-Mart last week. She had her items rung up by the cashier. The cashier hurried her along and didn't g ive 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. There is a scam going on. The cashier will ask for cash back and hand it to her friend who is the next person in line. Please, Please, please check your receipts right away when using debit cards. The store has the cashier under investigation now. We can only pray that she is caught very soon.

I am adding to this. My husband and I were in Wal-Mart North Salisbury 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. Please be aware

[Glenn and Lorraine]

I checked this out at Snopes.com and although they list it as Undetermined through investigation they did conclude...

quote: Lacking more convincing detail and evidence of cashiers' engaging in a widespread rip-off scheme, we'd have to surmise this item is more about customers misplacing blame for their own errors.

Every Wal*Mart that we ever used the card holder must indicate on the key pad as to whether or not they want cash back and if you do want cash back YOU must also enter the amount and not the cashier.

[H. John Kohl]

I thought it was a good reminder to check your receipt.
Oh well.
ADMIN Please delete this post.

[BB_TX]

It is not just Walmart. There are any number of stores that when you swipe your card, it will ask if you want cash back. You must press the NO button or one of the dollar figure buttons. I always press NO.

[Waynem]

John,
Regardless of cash back, or no cash back, it is still a good idea to check your receipt. You can change the "cash back" to "merchandise." Let's assume that your friend wants a 20 r 30 dollar item. Wouldn't it be easy for the cashier to scan an item while you are placing items on the conveyor belt? Who would notice. The camera?

It is a good idea to check your receipt, and not before you get to far from the store. You can scan it easily with your eyes and I'll be any item you did not pick up would pop out.

Thanks. I'm reminded.

[grampachet]

I heard a story many years ago of a store owner that kept a new broom near the checkout stand and rang up the price of the broom on everybody. He had sold that broom many many times. If anyone questioned him he would just say, "I thought that was yours."
Yes, checking your receipt is a good habit to get into.

[Art-n-Marge]

I always check my store receipts and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. One of these days I will probably catch someone trying to do this. I hope I don't do anything to get thrown in jail now that I know about this story. Walmart is one of the few stores where I actually get asked "if I want my receipt". I have always been puzzled why, but of course I do want my receipt and haven't seen anything yet. I better stay on my toes.

[richfaa]

Anything can happen.. It is a good reminder to be always on the alert.

[jretz]

On a few occasions while using my debit card when making a purchase I have had the clerk reach over and push the buttons on the card swipe machine. They have pushed the proceed button to advance the transaction faster. In these case I have stooped the clerk and questioned why they are doing this. The reply has been that rather than explain to people what to do it is easier for them to do it themselves. I explained to them that this is a very questionable procedure and I do not feel comfortable in them doing it. This has mainly happened at a particular national chain hardware store that is not noted for there customer service.

[simonsrf]

Thieves will get more clever in the future; they are scheming new ways to get into your wallet.

Thanks John for the heads up.

[exav8tr]

John, I can see where this might happen. Snopes or not, thanks for the heads up and reminding all of us to double check our receipts before leaving the counter. I have had the clerk reach over and push buttons also. I will stop this procedure in the future. Again, Thanks John.....

[dsprik]

Thanks, John! You have to be careful and not get complacent. That's when it will happen to you. You are absolutely correct. ALWAYS check your receipt.

Also gas receipts. A gas station by us has a dimly lit LED display that you punch following their instructions. After you are finished most pumps ask if you want a receipt. THIS one asks if you want a car wash - "Yes" or "No" FIRST. A couple times I have accidentally hit YES being used to the YES/NO for the receipt. How many of us just grab the receipt and stuff it in our pocket in a hurry to get out of the gas lanes. I got caught this twice now on a bright sunny day on the display. Clerk refunded my money both times.

Wonder how many others paid for a car wash they never knew they had coming???

[JimF]

I see that Snopes was consulted as an "authority" on this. Has anyone seen the challange to Snopes that is going around? It appears, from what I have read, that Snopes is as questionable as the Walmart pratice described in this thread.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by JimF

I see that Snopes was consulted as an "authority" on this. Has anyone seen the challange to Snopes that is going around? It appears, from what I have read, that Snopes is as questionable as the Walmart pratice described in this thread.

Yes, No, and Kind of.

I believe that Snopes is right 99.9% of the time, and corrects itself the other .1% A lot of folks fail to read exactly what snopes says though, and run off half cocked. In this particular instance, snopes has basicaly stated that while there have been some reported cases of cash back charges (at Wal-Mart AND other stores) it can not substanciate that this parctice is going on. I do know that the store that I have shopped at (Wal-Mart excluded because I don't go there), you have to push a button to request cash back.

There have been numerous blogs stating that snopes is a liberal based site, and I am not going to touch that one with a 10 foot pole because no matter I say, it will be wrong.

[sreigle]

I've never seen a Walmart that allows cash back on a credit card. Only on a debit card. And then I have to select the amount I want back and then have to hit the button to confirm the cash back on the next screen. Now I will know if I see a walmart where the selection process is different that I should check the receipt. I'm talking about the card machines at the checkout counters. Should for some reason the clerk swipe my card instead of me doing it, I should also then check the receipt.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

I've never seen a Walmart that allows cash back on a credit card. Only on a debit card. And then I have to select the amount I want back and then have to hit the button to confirm the cash back on the next screen. Now I will know if I see a walmart where the selection process is different that I should check the receipt. I'm talking about the card machines at the checkout counters. Should for some reason the clerk swipe my card instead of me doing it, I should also then check the receipt.

Wal-Mart does allow $60 cash back on Discover Card. We do it all the time so that we don't have to go to an ATM. And, they are honest about it. One time I'd forgotten to pick up my cash back and when I went back to Customer Service, they reviewed the video tapes and sure enough, I hadn't been given my $60. They gave it to me on the spot. When they checked that day's take on that register, it was $40 over and the Customer Service rep said she didn't know why it wasn't$60 over. But the point is, she gave me my $60. This just happened this past June.

Orv

[sreigle]

Good point, Orv. I've only used Visa and Master Card at Walmart, plus our debit card.

[PartyCrashers]

In CA.. We use our debit card at Walmart and getting change back they circle it showing on your receipt and you sign getting the cash back.

But as always you need to protect yourself and always check your receipt at every place you make purchase...

As stated above the crooks only get smarter and come up with "new and improved" tricks.

As I write this I can hear my (deceased) fathers voice...."well its like sticking your wallet out there and let anybody help themselves".

Of course when my father went to pay for anything, he already had a mental total in his head of his purchases and he knew what the dollars was in his pocket.....he knew what bills he would be paying with....heck he already had it figured on the change he would receive.

Nobody really got over on my father when it came to money.

I wish I was more like him....I did learn a few lessons by watching.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Lorraine handles ALL cashier transactions when we do any shopping together. I can't tell you the number of times she corrected an error. We rarely have anything to do with cash backs as we rarely use that transaction. She knows the price of most everything we purchase and watches as it is rung up. If we are overcharged on anything she immediately calls it to the cashiers attention. More than once we were charged the old price from before the Roll-Back.
Even in restaurants she handles all transactions and occasionally finds we were charged for a side dish we didn't receive or for 2 cups of coffee. Only I drink coffee.
The only Credit Card transactions I handle is for fuel purchases and the occasional trip alone to Home Depot. Even than when she gets the receipt she checks it very carefully and God bless me if I forget to get a receipt.

Lorraine and I have done this from day one of our marriage and I have no complaints. I often joke that I am the CEO of this Monty and Lorraine is the CFO. There is very little the CEO can do without the CFOs approval.

[ARJ]

We get cash back on our Discover card all the time at Walmart, Sams, & grocery stores, etc. Kinda like having a piggy bank. We have NEVER been charged interest for the cash back.