![]() Tender liquidation: Consumers may buy on one form of tender (maybe even a stolen credit card) and exchange once or several times to switch to merchandise credit, which becomes saleable in an online marketplace. In this case, the retailer is being used for free inventory.ħ. Reselling: Another simple process for fraudsters: purchase, sell elsewhere, return unsold. Employee theft: Associates can usually find a valid receipt in the POS system to return items.Ħ. Shoplisting: Also known as “shoplifting using found receipts,” fraudsters shoplist by using a discarded or stolen valid receipt as a shopping list to find items in a retail store and return them for a refund.ĥ. ![]() This system uses the retailer to keep personal items “up-to-date” at the retailer’s cost.Ĥ. Returning old/damaged merchandise: The process for consumers is simple: buy to replace old/broken item, keep new, return old. The classic example is when the fraudster makes a purchase, takes the item to his/her car, returns to the store immediately with receipt in hand, selects another of the same item from the shelf and proceeds to the return counter claiming he/she “changed his/her mind.” The receipt is valid and the return looks legitimate, but you’ve essentially paid this person for keeping your merchandise.ģ. Shoplifting with a receipt: Many thieves will shoplift with intent to return for full retail price. No one wants to deter a good shopper, but at some point a person’s returns overwhelm the value of his/her purchases and send that customer into a negative margin situation.Ģ. Return abuse - excessive violation of a retailer’s return policies - is often viewed subjectively. Renting/Wardrobing: Buying merchandise for short-term use with intent to return, such as video cameras for weddings, big-screen TVs for a Super Bowl game, or a dress for a special occasion is a form of fraud. Here are nine ways consumers cheat with a seemingly valid receipt that retailers need to watch out for this holiday shopping season:ġ. In fact, even the best POS systems with centralized receipt databases are vulnerable to improper use of receipts that appear legitimate. The printed receipt is often the primary credential that confirms a return transaction’s integrity, but it doesn’t eliminate fraud. Savvy fraudsters know how to prey on holiday cheer costing retailers thousands of dollars in fraudulent returns and exchanges. And don’t be fooled by a seemingly valid receipt. The holiday season is often considered the most wonderful time of year, but as retail sales soar, so do returns.
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