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.
