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Target self-checkout users warned to avoid offers of help while paying after string of extra items added to their bill
SHOPPERS have been warned to keep an eye out for scammers while using self-checkouts at Target.
A sinister scheme has seen crooks adding extra items to their victim’s bills after offering them help.


The terrifying scam sees people approaching elderly shoppers in Target stores at the self-checkout lanes and offering them help.
Then, according Andrew Peek, spokesperson for the San Mateo Police Department, they begin trying to force their victim to buy them products.
Andrew said: “They build up rapport with the individual, and then kind of hit him with ‘I need food for my family’ or ‘we need some sort of baby supply’ or something like that.”
After the shopper agrees, the scammer will distract them whilst scanning several other items too.
Shoppers have said that it has left them terrified to use the self-checkout lanes.
One customer named Wendy Feng said: “It is very awful.
“And it’s kind of like stopping people from helping people anymore.”
How you can protect yourself from scammers
However, Amy Nofzinger, from the AARP Fraud Watch Network, says that there is a way to protect yourself from the scammers.
Amy said: “Any time someone approaches you whether in person, over the phone or at your front door and you don’t know what they want, you kind of get nervous and scared and you don’t know what to say.
“So in this situation I want people to understand it’s okay to say no,”
She says that you should prepare a script in your mind to use when scammers approach you.
She added: “It can be anything like no I can’t do that for you today.
“Or I have to check with my daughter who works for law enforcement.”
Another urgent warning to shoppers
The news comes after cybersecurity company McAfee issued an urgent warning to Amazon shoppers.
Abhishek Karnik, the Head of Threat Research at McAfee, warned that the number of online scams has skyrocketed following Donald Trump’s tariff war.
He said: “As inflation and tariffs push more people to hunt for deals, scammers are using generative AI to craft scams that are more polished, personal, and persuasive.
“From retailer impersonations to hyper-realistic delivery scams, these threats are getting harder to spot.”
The cyber security company has shared five red flags to watch out for to help users stay safe online:
- Urgent language demanding immediate action (“Your account will be closed in 24 hours!”).
- Requests for payment via gift cards, wire transfers or cash.
- Claims that you need to “verify” or “legalise” your money.
- Transfers to “goverment agencies” during the same call.
- Pressure to keep the call secret or not hang up.
Abhishek added that Amazon will never call you about suspicious account activity or unauthorised purchases.
Target's anti-theft measures
Target has implemented multiple anti-theft measures to combat crime in the store.
The retail giant has placed some items behind locked cases, which has resulted in customer backlash.
In April 2024, reports surfaced that it is planning to add TruScan cameras to its self-checkout registers.
Target also added weight sensors to its self-checkout registers in another move to combat theft.
Social security bosses backtrack after issuing August 18 deadline for recipients of $5,108 check
SOCIAL security bosses have backtracked after issuing a deadline on a policy change set to take effect later this month.
SSA announced that millions of Social Security recipients would either have to go online or travel to their nearest field office to get a personal identification number (PIN) for security purposes.

And the deadline for the $5,108 check recipients to get the PINs was set for August 18.
The SSA even estimated about 3.4 million additional visits to SSA field offices annually to manage and create PINs.
Without one, they would lose access to basic services like changing their address, checking their claim status, or requesting tax forms.
But after a backlash from customers and experts, officials say the Secure Authentication PIN (SAP) system will be optional, not mandatory.
Social Security recipients are now not required to visit a field office and can choose not to use a PIN.
“The intention of the expanded SAP feature in the filing was always to be optional,” an SSA spokesperson told Axios.
“The purpose of the feature is to improve the customer experience by providing a convenient and secure method for callers to verify their identity.”
“If a caller does not have a ‘my Social Security account’ or chooses not to use the SAP feature, the customer experience will be no different than it is today, and they will continue to use the existing authentication methods to verify their identity,” they added.
Still, the regulatory filing has not yet been amended to note this, but the SSA spokesperson confirmed to the publication that it would be making that action so the “optional” aspect is clear.
Concerns were immediately noted last month by experts like Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Centre on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
“This will create a significant burden, particularly for those who live in rural areas or have transportation or mobility difficulties,” Romig argued in a blog post.
“The Trump administration is rushing these changes with almost no public notice or feedback.”
CBPP findings also showed that most Social Security recipients live at least an hour’s drive round-trip from a SSA field office.
HOW TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
Here's how to supplement your Social Security:
Given the uncertainty surrounding Social Security’s long-term future, it’s essential for workers to consider ways to supplement their retirement income.
Senior Citizens League executive director, Shannon Benton recommends starting early with savings and investing in retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs.
- 401(k) Plans
- A 401(k) is a retirement account offered through employers, where contributions are tax-deferred.
- Many employers also match employee contributions, typically between 2% and 4% of salary, making it a valuable tool for building retirement savings.
- Maxing out your 401(k) contributions, especially if your employer offers a match, should be a priority.
- IRAs
- An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) offers another avenue for retirement savings.
- Unlike a 401(k), an IRA isn’t tied to your employer, giving you more flexibility in your investment choices.
- Contributions to traditional IRAs are tax-deductible, and the funds grow tax-free until they are withdrawn, at which point they are taxed as income.
FRAUD FOCUS
With the PIN, the SSA is attempting to crack down on fraud, even though organizations like the CBPP argue the federal agency has yet to provide substantial evidence of the fraud it seeks to combat.
This spring, the SSA also rolled out anti-fraud software to help flag potential cases over the phone, per CBS News.
About 4.5 million phone-based claims come in yearly to the SSA, with about only about 70,000 cited for possible fraudulent activity.
Should an original proposed policy taking away identity verification over the phone that the federal agency also u-turned on in April have been put in place, about six million seniors would’ve had to go into field offices.
MONEY MOVE
The theme of fraud prevention also continues through the direct deposit change taking effect starting September 30.
It comes out of an executive order from The White House this summer that confirmed the US Department of the Treasury would no longer be sending out paper checks to Social Security recipients.
The White House said the mandate was not only a way to prevent fraud but also save money, as about $750 million is spent on paper checks each year.
Social Security recipients must sign up for direct deposit or another form of electronic payment by the deadline or they risk delaying distributions.
About 1.9 million additional SSA field office visits are expected with the direct deposit change.
The SSA commissioner also fired back at Democratic senators who recently criticized the federal agency over alleged “mismanagement” and “record backlogs.”
Americans are also at risk of having Social Security checks cut by more than $18,000.
Major mobile brand apologises amid fears its closing down after 33 years – and all phones are sold out
BOSSES for a huge tech brand have spoken out amid fears that its phone business could be winding down.
The firm has a long history of pioneering everything from TVs to game consoles, as well as 33 years making mobiles.


But shoppers grew suspicious after spotting that all of Sony’s phones were mysteriously sold out last month.
And they remain that way today despite chiefs now insisting they’re not giving up.
Lin Tao, Sony’s chief financial officer, said its Xperia brand remains “an extremely important business for us”.
But she also suggested that the division could go in another direction, saying that “communication technology is used in areas other than smartphones”.
“Communication technology is a very important technology that Sony has cultivated for a long time,” Tao said during an earnings call.
CNET Japan reports that she also apologised for inconvenience caused by a major software glitch that affected its latest model, the Xperia 1 VII.
Sony’s mobiles were once one of the must-have brands to have in your pocket, with a peak 9 per cent market share globally during its heyday as Sony Ericsson.
Today, Sony’s mobile market share is thought to be only about 1 per cent in some countries.
Big names that were huge in the early 2000s have been dwarfed by the popularity of iPhone and Samsung, as well as cheaper new rivals.
LG withdrew from the smartphone industry in 2021 and put out its final software update to existing handset owners just a few weeks ago.
Paolo Pescatore, an analyst from PP Foresight, recently told The Sun: “It seems that the company is retrenching from some markets given the ongoing challenges in the handset business and changing market dynamics.
“Once a powerhouse, it was one of the few companies to boast a strong a presence in consumer electronics glass-to-glass from content creation with professional cameras through to smartphones and TVs.
“Ultimately with lacklustre sales, stepping back makes sense given the competitive nature of the industry.
“However, the company under Sony still seems to remain committed to smartphones under its premium brand which resonates in other markets.
“Moving forward it will still be faced with tough decisions on whether pulling the plug should be made as it currently pivots towards a leaner and more agile business model.
“There’s also pride at stake for a company that is rich in consumer electronics.”
A Sony spokesperson told The Sun previously: “Withdrawal from the mobile business is not being considered at this time.”
MOST POPULAR MOBILE BRANDS REVEALED

- Samsung – 20.1 per cent
- Apple – 19.5 per cent
- Xiaomi – 13.9 per cent
- OPPO – 7.8 per cent
- Vivo – 7.5 per cent
- Others – 31.2 per cent
Based on global shipments in the first quarter of 2025
Source: IDC