Register Ruses: Unveiling the Wild Ways Customers Play the Scam Game

5 Retail Workers Share the Wildest Ways Customers Have Tried to Scam Their Business

People have tried all sorts of tricks to con store employees, from trying to con the cashier to trying to return “used” merchandise. A few of these employees revealed the most outrageous methods that people have been using to defraud them.

Engaging in retail work entails communicating with individuals from diverse backgrounds. While some of these encounters are productive and beneficial, others are so awful that they cause these retail employees to second-guess their professional decisions. A few retail professionals shared their stories about being conned by some clients on Reddit.

Grammar and clarity have been improved in the comments.

1. I Want My Money Back!

u/Tulabean: I used to work at a convenience shop as a teenager. Entering the store, a man hurriedly took a pair of pantyhose from the shelf, approached the cash counter, and confided in me that he had bought them for his spouse, but they were the wrong size.

I replied that since I had seen him remove them from the shelf, I was unable to provide a refund because he had never actually purchased them. He protested that he had and offered to accept an adult magazine in lieu of a refund.

Even if he had paid for the pantyhose, I joked, laughing, that the cost of the magazine would still be unpaid.

After giving it some thought, the man pulled another pair of pantyhose from the shelf and said, “How about now?” Whoa. Just astounding.

2. The Husband and Expectant Wife

u/schabe: A traveler from the caravan camp half a mile away entered with his pregnant wife. Although we were aware of his dodginess, he had visited the area a few times without causing any problems.
In any case, he requested to examine a pre-owned PS3, which was in its box in the store’s rear. To demonstrate its state to him, my colleague took it out.

As he studied it, he inquired about my colleague’s other preowned controllers. Ignorantly, my friend went to the back and left him alone to examine the console.
The guy had closed the console and placed it inside its box when he got back. Inquiring about the cost of the pre-owned controller, he mentioned that he might visit later with cash, which would not be surprising for a traveler, and purchase them both.

He did not return. Another person expressed interest in the console a day later. It was stacked high with books when we opened it.

We looked through the surveillance footage. It appears that in the roughly twenty seconds that my colleague was away from the desk, the “pregnant wife” took out three or four books from under her dress and pushed the console into the pregnancy pouch concealed beneath her clothing. The books were then placed inside the box, and the traveler shut it.

Fortunately, he was too dim to see the camera. When the police were summoned, they found him in less than six hours. Both we and the prison service received the console back. It was his third transgression.

3. The Biscuits with Nuts

u/Caitsyth: I worked at a fancy candy store with biscuits, chocolates, and other candies. One woman purchased the final nine boxes of our out-of-season nut biscuits during our clearance sale (red pricing, purchases are final). She exits after I, the cashier, ring up the sale.

This woman is waiting for us to open the gate two days later; I am the one who opens it. She accused me of ATTEMPTED MURDER when I allowed her in so I could get ready for the day.

She was making threats to call the police. She consumed the entire box of the CLEARLY LABELED nut biscuits in one sitting while doing this, at which point her throat tightened and she began to get itchy all over.

She does not, however, have a minor nut allergy. She says we poisoned them and wants an apology for trying to kill her, a complete refund, and items worth the same amount.

After persuading her that she was allergic to nuts, her complaint had changed to accusing us of purposefully omitting allergen labels from our package.

Taking one of the boxes from her at that time, I marked with a marker the three spots on the front indicating that the biscuits were mixed nuts and the warning on the back listing all the allergens they might have come into contact with.

She threw her hands in the air and said, “FINE, just give me the refund then! That was her final play that really got me.” I would like to stop receiving things from you.” Since the return was, you know, entirely negotiable.

When I requested for the receipt, she said I must have stolen it even though she didn’t have one. I replied, “Fine, but I must text my manager since I can’t process returns.”

She had been caught attempting to steal multiple times in the mall, so I informed a friend in the security office about what was going on, and they decided to call the actual police.

But what really brightened my day was that she assaulted one of the REAL cops when they attempted to drag her out of my store. When they removed her restraints, I was overjoyed to watch her wriggle.

4. I knew there was a problem.

Under u/red_balloon_animal: A woman came in with a package of cookware to return as I was filling in for a customer service representative during the break.

Because I assembled the display and hauled out all the boxes, I am certain that it is a brand that we had just acquired the week before. It was among the priciest sets we had ever offered for sale.

She replied she received another one as a gift when I inquired why she wanted to return it. The weight seems strange when I take the box off before beginning the return at the register.

She denied having ever had it open when I inquired. Some of the boxes can be opened without being cut open by using the bottom opening, however the top tape has not been tampered with.

I respond with, “Oh, well, let me just check it to see if it is still sellable.” She began telling me that was “not necessary and that I could get my cash back” as soon as I cut the tape.

Bricks were piled within the box. “Oh, goodness!” I cried, putting on my best Disney princess falsetto. You weren’t sold this by us! Your bricks are back! As soon as you bring in the pots and pans, I can start working on your return.”

5. She Sampled Her Own Medication

u/[deleted]: This woman enters my store a week after purchasing a $5,000 bridal gown. She’s furious and is wildly flailing the dress in the air as if it were on fire. At full volume, she cries, “Give me a full refund!” “You sold me a dress with a hole in the back, right below the waist!”

I’m stunned as I stand there. Before purchasing that garment, the woman had tried it on five times. Like a person searching for hidden treasure, she examined every square inch. Trying not to lose my composure, I turned to face her and remarked, “Ma’am, you checked this dress thoroughly.” No hole was present. I apologize; I’m unable to help you.

She won’t have any of it, though. She yells, “DO THE REFUND NOW OR YOU’RE FIRED!” “The owner is my best friend!”

I have three little mouths to feed at home and am relatively new to this job. It is not an option to lose this employment. I so handle her reimbursement with sad heart. She smiles smugly at me, takes the money, and runs off like she had won the lotto.

That’s where things get good, though. The universe’s exquisite force, Karma, was not going to spare her. She returns after one hour. And how have things turned around? She can hardly look me in the eye, her face as red as a tomato.

It turns out that she didn’t realize her pricey purse was wide open since she was too busy gloating over her little con. And what do you know? One by one, like breadcrumbs, her newly earned $5,000 had vanished during her triumphant lap around the mall.

She’s inquiring if anyone has turned in the money, obviously panicked. However, as these things often go, not a single banknote was discovered. Observing her take a taste of her own medicine gave me a little sense of joy. Karma truly does have a funny way of making things straight, doesn’t it?

Although it’s entertaining to watch how people attempt to con store employees and business owners, it’s disheartening to witness how deceitful people turn into under these situations. It is not a good idea to try to con a retail employee because it implies sacrificing one’s self-respect in the event that one is discovered.

Have you ever experienced anything similar? Tell us about your experiences, please!