would it work at REI?

[Dru]

Subject: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam

 

By Evan Schuman January 5, 2005

 

In a scheme that leveraged a little technology but relied on inattentive cashiers, Tennessee authorities have arrested two couples on charges that they used bogus bar codes to steal at least $1.5 million from hundreds of stores--some belonging to Wal-Mart--in 19 states. The group is slated to

appear in court Wednesday.

 

Although the accused are said to have spent a lot of time and effort

organizing colleagues in various parts of the country, the technology

portion of their scheme was quite simple. They are accused of visiting a retailer and purchasing a low-priced item. The group would then scan the bar codes and simply print out duplicate bar codes, said Thomas Dean, the assistant Sumner County (Tennessee) district attorney who is assigned to the case.

 

The accused--Michael Poore, 29, and Julie Marie Simmons, 35, also known as Julie Poore; and Dewey Howerton, 39, and Laura Howerton, 39--would then go back to the store, tape the duplicate bar code on a higher-priced item and

purchase the more expensive item at the lower scanned price, Dean said in an eWEEK.com interview.

 

One of the accused, according to the police complaint, would then remove the bogus tag and try to return the item to the store for the full purchase price. Instead of cash, the defendants would often ask for gift cards, Dean said. "Wal-Mart will more quickly put it on a gift card than hand you cash," he said. ...

 

the criminal mind is always inventive.

[chirp]

I applaud their creativity. What better business than Wal-Mart to try it out on!

[chucK]

Walmart probably bilks the public out of $1.5 million a week, by just having the prices of a few items be "accidently" wrong on the barcode key so that they cost half a buck more at the checkout than was listed on the display.

[Dru]

no way man, those 1980's era hou7e music smily faces fly around the store and make sure all the bar codes are priced low!