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Gift Card Switch On Cashier

  1. #1
    SBTlauien African Astronaut
    http://www.wvnstv.com/local-news/raleigh-county/deputies-search-for-man-believed-to-be-using-stolen-gift-cards/885509065

    So this guy went up to the cashier with two gift cards(one was likely hidden in his sleeve or something), had the cashier activate one of the gift cards, switched the two gift cards, told the cashier he had no money, and left with the activated gift card.

    I had thought that the card didn't have funds placed on it until the end of the transaction. Does this mean that the cashier needs the same card to remove the funds from the card?
  2. #2
    mmQ Lisa Turtle
    I think is activated when they scan it and I think they instinctively scan it right away in order to tell you how much you have to pay.

    I'm more curious how he was able to distract them and switch the cards after they scanned the first one.
  3. #3
    SBTlauien African Astronaut
    Maybe he had a bunch of items and handed the cashier the gift card first, and then after the cashier loaded it, asked if he could put it in he pocket so that he wouldn't lose it, and then later pulled out the second one and handed it back to the cashier.

    I can actually think other ways a person could go about this...
  4. #4
    mmQ Lisa Turtle
    That's not a bad idea actually, but it seems like a lot of hassle for a small payout. I wonder what type of gift cards he was getting. (I couldn't read the article on my phone for whatever reason)

    What are the other ways you can think of that he'd distract him/her?

    Other than having more items, it seems weird that the cashier would hand him back the activated are before he paid.
  5. #5
    Seems sketchy. If I were a cashier and someone comes up and does this it would immediately make me suspicious the first time, not to mention if it happened a second time
  6. #6
    mmQ Lisa Turtle
    Originally posted by greenplastic Seems sketchy. If I were a cashier and someone comes up and does this it would immediately make me suspicious the first time, not to mention if it happened a second time

    What about the nineteenth time?
  7. #7
    infinityshock Black Hole
    you people arent really this retarded, are you...

    the only thing he stole was a piece of plastic, worth literally nothing, with a few numbers marked on it.
  8. #8
    NARCassist gollums fat coach
    Originally posted by SBTlauien Maybe he had a bunch of items and handed the cashier the gift card first, and then after the cashier loaded it, asked if he could put it in he pocket so that he wouldn't lose it, and then later pulled out the second one and handed it back to the cashier.

    I can actually think other ways a person could go about this…

    do it at the cigarette counter, after they scan the card ask for some obscure brand of cigarettes that they don't have. while they're looking you switch cards. simple.



    .
  9. #9
    SBTlauien African Astronaut
    Originally posted by infinityshock you people arent really this retarded, are you…

    the only thing he stole was a piece of plastic, worth literally nothing, with a few numbers marked on it.

    The article claims that it works. If it didn't, I doubt they'd put his picture on the news.

    Originally posted by mmQ That's not a bad idea actually, but it seems like a lot of hassle for a small payout

    Some Prepaid Visa cards are $20-$500. $500 at 20 stores in a day would be $10k. If the whole thing was set up correctly.
  10. #10
    mmQ Lisa Turtle
    Originally posted by SBTlauien The article claims that it works. If it didn't, I doubt they'd put his picture on the news.



    Some Prepaid Visa cards are $20-$500. $500 at 20 stores in a day would be $10k. If the whole thing was set up correctly.

    Yeah I just don't consider those to be gift cards, when I think gift cards I think 25 dollar applebees shit.
  11. #11
    I've worked a POS system where I sold gift cards and it is not activated until you successfully pay for the transaction. It doesn't simply happen when it's scanned. Not sure why the hell it worked for this guy.
  12. #12
    SBTlauien African Astronaut
    Originally posted by 哈哈你看不懂中文 I've worked a POS system where I sold gift cards and it is not activated until you successfully pay for the transaction. It doesn't simply happen when it's scanned. Not sure why the hell it worked for this guy.

    This is how I always thought it worked. When I was in retail, when I totaled out the transaction and told the register that the payment had been made, it'd do a little thing for a second that was clearly it telling the issuer that the card has had funds added to it.

    There is something that worked for this guy though. I'd like to know what it was...
  13. #13
    Originally posted by SBTlauien This is how I always thought it worked. When I was in retail, when I totaled out the transaction and told the register that the payment had been made, it'd do a little thing for a second that was clearly it telling the issuer that the card has had funds added to it.

    There is something that worked for this guy though. I'd like to know what it was…

    I wonder if the cashier wasn't in on it somehow. I honestly can't think of any other way this could've happened?
  14. #14
    SBTlauien African Astronaut
    Look at these two...

    http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mother-daughter-duo-busted-250g-staples-gift-card-scam-article-1.3574944

    They ordered the e-gift cards online, then called Staples Customer Service line and tried to get an override on the transactions(most weren't), and the ones that worked totaled over $250k.
  15. #15
    SBTlauien African Astronaut
    Originally posted by 哈哈你看不懂中文 I wonder if the cashier wasn't in on it somehow. I honestly can't think of any other way this could've happened?

    Maybe those cards are activated upon scanning the back...OH shit, I think I know what it is!...

    Alright, so if everything has been scanned, and it's time to pay, if someone says that they are paying with cash, I would press the cash button which would not only complete the transaction but it would also activate the card. So if someone said, "I'm paying with cash." and then I pressed that button, the cards would be activated. If that person then said, "I have no cash." and walked away, I'd have to call a manager to deal with the whole transaction, including the card. If that card went missing(like from a switch) then the funds could be spent.

    Now lets come up with some clever ways to pull this off...

    Edit: I think I have something that would work and would be crazy if did...
  16. #16
    Work an honest job, make honest money, reduce e your desires to fit your means and lead an honest life.
  17. #17
    SBTlauien African Astronaut
    Originally posted by Captain Falcon Work an honest job

    I do.

    Originally posted by Captain Falcon make honest money

    I do, mostly.

    Originally posted by Captain Falcon reduce e your desires to fit your means

    What does this mean?

    Originally posted by Captain Falcon lead an honest life.

    I do.
  18. #18
    Originally posted by SBTlauien Maybe those cards are activated upon scanning the back…OH shit, I think I know what it is!…

    Alright, so if everything has been scanned, and it's time to pay, if someone says that they are paying with cash, I would press the cash button which would not only complete the transaction but it would also activate the card. So if someone said, "I'm paying with cash." and then I pressed that button, the cards would be activated. If that person then said, "I have no cash." and walked away, I'd have to call a manager to deal with the whole transaction, including the card. If that card went missing(like from a switch) then the funds could be spent.

    Now lets come up with some clever ways to pull this off…

    Edit: I think I have something that would work and would be crazy if did…

    Lol wut? Are you sure? That seems incredibly flawed. Didn't happen for me unless I hit 'complete transaction'
  19. #19
    Originally posted by SBTlauien I do.



    I do, mostly.



    What does this mean?



    I do.

    It wasn't specifically directed at you, you spaz. This is why nobody likes you.
  20. #20
    aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
    dunno how this could've worked; typically when you're issued a gift card they simply activate the card number with the appropriate value in their database, the card is more or less just a reference to that.

    if you were to get a card activated it'd just write $50 to the value in their database beside the card number, swapping it out or just running out of the store would get you nowhere because they could simply reverse the update and set the value back to zero
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