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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 18, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: prepaid debit card, prepaid VISA card ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), self checkout, walmart ( 24 )   

  Watch out for self-checkout scam at Walmart 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Recently, Walmart has courted controversy with their self-checkout kiosks. There’s been more than one story about how shoppers will notice there are no regular check out lanes open, and only the self-checkout lanes are available. Some will blame these situations on staff shortages with the mantra of ‘no one wants to work’. Others will blame Walmart themselves for allegedly trying to maintain or increase profit margins at the expense of their employees. The self-checkouts even figure into the recent accusations of price gouging by Walmart. Some have indicated that the self-checkouts have led to greater retail theft, which is referred to as shrinkage in the retail industry.

  Now, we’re hearing about another issue with the self-checkout kiosks, which has a direct effect on consumers. Some Walmart shoppers who have used the kiosks have found additional amounts added to their bill for something they did not purchase. It’s not Walmart who’s adding these charges, though. As you’ve probably surmised, it’s scammers.

  Scammers are going up to the self-checkouts and start the purchase of a pre-paid debit card, then leave the kiosk before the purchase is completed. They’re hoping that the next person who uses the kiosk won’t notice the additional charge as the victim starts scanning their items. If the victim completes the purchase, the scammer will empty the pre-paid debit card immediately, essentially stealing cash from the shopper.

  When using a self-checkout kiosk, most of us aren’t even paying attention when we start scanning our groceries. Before scanning, make sure the screen is clear of any previous charges. If there are incomplete charges on the screen, use another kiosk or contact a store employee to void the previous purchase.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on September 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: jury duty scam ( 30 ), MoneyPak, police impersonation scam ( 61 ), police scam ( 37 ), prepaid debit card, Scams ( 1,354 )   

  Jury duty scammers continue to harass victims 

  

  By Greg Collier

  As we’ve said previously, not a day goes by where we don’t see a news headline warning readers about jury duty scams. This is where scammers try to take advantage of a victim’s inexperience in dealing with the court system. Most of us have heard that you can be potentially arrested if you miss reporting for jury duty after receiving a summons. However, not everyone knows the court’s process if someone is to be fined or arrested, and the scammers are counting on that.

  Recently, scammers tried to take advantage of a young woman from North Carolina. They had called her, posing as the local sheriff’s office. They told her that not only did she miss jury duty, but now had to pay a $950 fine or be arrested. The scammers even tried to make every part of their scam seem official. They informed her that she needed to pay the supposed fine in MoneyPak vouchers. MoneyPaks are not vouchers, but a brand of prepaid debit card like Green Dot. Then the scammers tried to have the woman meet them in front of the county courthouse to make the payment.

  While this was a harrowing experience for the young woman, she thankfully had someone on her side helping her. The conversation the woman had with the scammer was on speaker, and the woman’s mother had a feeling this was a scam. Her mother called the local sheriff’s office, who assured her this was a scam.

  Now, it is true you can be fined or arrested for missing jury duty, however, the scam is not even close to how the courts really work. If someone were to somehow miss jury duty, they would receive an additional summons in the mail. At this point, they can contact the court to try to settle the matter. Neither the courts nor the police will ever call someone to harass them into making a payment. Even if someone did need to pay a fine to the courts, it wouldn’t be through nontraditional means like prepaid debit cards, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. These forms of payment are tools for scammers to avoid having the payment traced by the actual police.

  If you are ever unsure about whether a call from police is official or not, you have the right to hang up and verify the call with law enforcement.