K1 Scam

[anakinskywalker]

Long story short tonight in electronics I had a group of 4 getting 8 laptops and a few switches and they tried to get gift cards as well but I said they can only get cards at the front and they would put in their cards then tell me that I have to put in the cash amount and basically they had me insert a number of how much the transactions were (there were several) and my coworker told me it’s a K1 scam and I told security and an ETL just told me next time that I need to ask for an ID if something is suspicious. I am so scared Ill get fired but I’m not in electronics I usually work in style but it’s super understaffed so I have been needing to cover shifts over there but I wasn’t trained properly. Will I get in trouble for this?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Long story short tonight in electronics I had a group of 4 getting 8 laptops and a few switches and they tried to get gift cards as well but I said they can only get cards at the front and they would put in their cards then tell me that I have to put in the cash amount and basically they had me insert a number of how much the transactions were (there were several) and my coworker told me it’s a K1 scam and I told security and an ETL just told me next time that I need to ask for an ID if something is suspicious. I am so scared Ill get fired but I’m not in electronics I usually work in style but it’s super understaffed so I have been needing to cover shifts over there but I wasn’t trained properly. Will I get in trouble for this?

You got scammed. The guest should not tell you what buttons to push on the register. Call your tl first for help before you completed the transaction. You could of taken the items to gs & they would stopped the guests real fast. You need more training.

 

[anakinskywalker]

You got scammed. The guest should not tell you what buttons to push on the register. Call your tl first for help before you completed the transaction. You could of taken the items to gs & they would stopped the guests real fast. You need more training.

1000% agree. Talked with security and the front of store TL, but I’m going to talk to my ETL about it tomorrow. Thank you for the response

 

[Far from newbie]

OMG ! Your store completely FAILED you with lack of training !

WHY would you let a guest TELL you what to do ?
Did you have any idea that they were not actually paying for anything ?
were you at all suspicious of those kinds of purchases ?

so sad that you couldn’t figure that out.

 

[IhateOPmodel]

Our store has signs on every register explaining this exact scam.

Sometimes they tell the TM it's a "cash card". There is no such thing.

 

[Dream Baby]

Sorry that Target didn't train you but that's typical.

I am always wary of any big transactions in electronics ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.

I would have walked the items up front to guest service and let them handle it.

In a related matter that is also why I never do returns in electronics.

 

[anakinskywalker]

OMG ! Your store completely FAILED you with lack of training !

WHY would you let a guest TELL you what to do ?
Did you have any idea that they were not actually paying for anything ?
were you at all suspicious of those kinds of purchases ?

so sad that you couldn’t figure that out.

Yup… they do not train properly. The scammers used manipulation tactics, would distract me while ringing stuff up, and I obviously was not thinking clearly because of this. Their mistake and partly mine for not knowing about this, and not using my head.
I was suspicious towards the end and luckily a closing leader was by me & said that was a k1 scam so we went and told etl and security.

 

[anakinskywalker]

Sorry that Target didn't train you but that's typical.

I am always wary of any big transactions in electronics ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.

I would have walked the items up front to guest service and let them handle it.

In a related matter that is also why I never do returns in electronics.

Yeah.. I was told I can’t do returns there so I never have , but from now on if I’m back there I’m going to be doing just that…

 

[Dream Baby]

Yeah.. I was told I can’t do returns there so I never have , but from now on if I’m back there I’m going to be doing just that…

I should have worded that better.

I WOULD NOT DO returns in electronics even if it allowed.

They can be a train wreck since electronics have a shorter return window.

Send them to customer service.

 

[Fluttervale]

If a guest ever starts confusing you again send them straight to the service desk.

This is a well known scam and they prey on new cashiers and cashiers that aren’t confident in their cashiering skills.

 

[NotCynicalYet]

Cash means cash, and never anything but cash

Sorry you got got on this one. The majority of TMs who don't have that specific training get caught out by this one. It's a really good scam even though it sounds preposterous.

 

[allnew2]

Their mistake and partly mine for not knowing about this, and not using my head.

No honey they clearly knew what they were doing .

 

[Frontlanegirl]

First of all, a large transaction with this many people is a huge red flag. You never ever have a “guest” tell you how to ring up items and what to do. If it seems sketchy, it most likely is. All you had to do was call someone else to help out.

 

[TurgetCirkl]

I would have walked the items up front to guest service and let them handle it.

THIS!!! If a (usually male) guest in their 20-30s hands me a check I will always have a TL check it. When I was still seasonal Electronic DBO told me to not take any checks in electronics, just take the item to GS. A few days later someone came up to me buying 2 prepaid phones (already red flag). literally said "if I'm honest I have no idea how to process a check so lemme take you to Guest Service" and when I took him up they instantly recognize him as a regular check fraudster.

I WOULD NOT DO returns in electronics even if it allowed.

I only do them if I fuck something up lol. Like I sold someone the wrong apple TV and we realize after the receipt came out.

You got scammed. The guest should not tell you what buttons to push on the register

One time I was defecting stuff late at night at GS (Christmas hours so we close at 12) it was like 11 pm and a guest wanted to register for tax exemption. (It was 2020 and I was still seasonal) No one knew how to do tax exemption registration on Classic and the GA looked at the other two GAs and said "Do you guys know how to register for tax exemption?" and we all kinda looked at each other because no one knew lol and this guest goes "Oh you press K5 then K3 then K1 then enter the number" (something along those lines, still don't know how to do tax exemption on classic LOL) we all laughed and I walked away LMAO.