FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in southwest Kansas are investigating a scam and working to alert the public.
According to Garden City police, at the time of purchase, the scammer inserts a card into the card reader which begins processing a transaction.
The card is then removed which causes an issue with the reader’s ability to process the card. The scammer will try sweet-talking the cashier, saying it is a “cash card” and in order for it to be processed, the “CASH” button must be pressed on the register.
The cashier, unaware of the scam, may press the “CASH” button which will open the money drawer and print a receipt, simulating a completed transaction. The merchandise is obtained without processing a card payment or having a physical money exchange. The scammer then takes the merchandise to a different store and returns it for cash or sells the merchandise through various venues.
With this scam, the most common items that scammers attempt to purchase are high-value merchandise and gift cards.
We encourage retailers and business owners/managers to keep an eye out for suspicious activity from customers and educate your employees on this type of scam.
If you have questions or believe you have been the victim of the cash card scam, please contact the GCPD at (620) 276-1300.