Maybe this isn't a scam/fraud, but the last guest I had today while cashiering bought about $300 of mainly food and clothing and then wanted to use two gift cards to pay part of the balance. The first one was worth $5 and then when I explained that to the guest, she and her friend were shocked and explained to me that both gift cards should have been worth $10. I voided the payment, and checked the balance of the card and sure enough, it said $5. The guest thought out loud about how there could have been a miscommunication at a party where she got the gift card from, and then asked to speak to a manager. I scanned the second gift card, which was $10. I asked the nearest GSTL to come over and speak to the guests and sort things out. I overheard some of the guest's story about how they needed all of the items they were buying and the fact that they were using EBT/SNAP to pay for all of their food. The GSTL came over, voided the payment again, gave the guest a $5 Target coupon to make up for the difference in the actual $5 balance and the expected $10 balance, but explained to me that I did the right thing in calling him over because it was an issue with a gift card. I scanned both gift cards and then the guest paid with their EBT/SNAP and the rest on their credit card.
I didn't hear everything that the guest said to the GSTL, but I can't help but feel that they made up some kind of story to get $5 off the purchase.
I have only worked as a cashier so I probably haven't experienced what a GSA/GSTL or Guest Service member has experienced in fraud, but I thought that I would share what happened today.