TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam

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

Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)
Tue, 18 Jan 2005 13:34:51 -0500

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.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1748274,00.asp

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Monty Solomon: "DISH Thin-Panel LCD High-Definition TVs"
Go to Previous message: Monty Solomon: "DISH On Demand - DISH Player-DVR 625"
Next in thread: Tony P.: "Re: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam"
May be reply: Tony P.: "Re: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam"
May be reply: J Kelly: "Re: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam"
May be reply: T. Sean Weintz: "Re: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam"
May be reply: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com: "Re: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam"
May be reply: dold@XReXXWal-M.usenet.us.com: "Re: Wal-Mart Stung in $1.5 Million Bar-Code Scam"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page