Shoppers report scams in Savannah, Cartersville
Those headed out for Black Friday deals should be cautious of a variety of scams occurring at checkouts where debit cards are used, according to both store and police officials nationwide. Scams have been reported at Walmart, Kroger, and some gas pumps in Georgia and Connecticut.
The scams primarily involve skimmers placed on the checkout machines that pull personal information from your debit or credit card, allowing thieves access to your finances. Thieves struck two Walmarts in Savannah and several Kroger stores in Connecticut earlier in November. In one case, the skimmers weren’t detected for 14 days. All cases involve self-checkout lanes.
A Bartow County woman posted on the social app Nextdoor about her card being skimmed at a local gas pump. She found out about the scam when her card showed a $700 charge.
Another scam being reported is manipulating the charges to your card, charging you more than you should pay. One customer posted a Walmart receipt bearing a 10 percent sales tax, much more than the 7 percent rate in that county. Two in the area reported occurring at the Cartersville Walmart and Kroger.
Police and store officials advise customers to check receipts before leaving the checkout. Other options include using checkout lanes using clerks rather than the self checkouts and using cash rather than a debit or credit card.
Scammers are online too with fraudulent sale emails to phish financial information and transactions out of Christmas shoppers. Check the email address to ensure it’s from the company it purports to be. It could be one letter or number off, so go directly to the company website to compare addresses and information. If unsure, order directly from the company website or contact it to verify the email.
Other safety tips for Black Friday shopping include:
- Be aware of your surroundings. Look around when you are going to and from your vehicle rather than your phone.
- Have your keys ready to open your car before you leave the store.
- Don’t put your packages in view from anyone passing by your car.
- Don’t carry a large amount of cash.
Melody Dareing is a freelance writer for publications in the U.S, Canada, the UK and Germany. She is a former news director of Adelphia Channel 4 and WBHF Radio. She is on Facebook, X, YouTube, content on Substack, and has a podcast on Rumble.