Retail employee scams store out of $2500 by processing fake returns, pocketing the cash, and using customers' lost credit cards: ‘He was swiping away’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Nov 24, 2025 10:00 AM EST

In the realm of retail, most employees need to worry about loss prevention and plan out scenarios in case they face a customer attempting to steal products from their store. Retail employees are typically instructed to let the thieves escape and to call the authorities immediately, while less traditional methods might be recommended in smaller businesses… If you know, you know.

The other side of loss prevention? Ensuring that your colleagues aren't the ones putting their hands where they aren't welcome (like the cash register) and keeping an eye on each other in a Panopticon-style manner.

You never think your colleagues are capable of fraud and theft until you see your lead supervisor getting taken away in handcuffs by the police while you're working the graveyard shift. But hey, stranger things have happened. In the next story, you'll read about a retail employee who recounts the time they witnessed their lead supervisor get arrested and three other colleagues get fired. The store reveals that the supervisor had been making false returns and pocketing the cash, while the colleagues helped. The worst part? After this occurs, the same supervisor admits to stealing not only from the store but also from its customers. Scroll to read.

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  • 01
    woman with glasses writing something down and looking at her laptop
    via Curated Lifestyle For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    "Coworker involved other coworkers into fraud"

    This was one of my very first jobs into retail. Worked at this specific store for about 2 years and was promoted onto management team as a lead supervisor 8 months in.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 03
    Our management team was a group of 6 at the time and was between the ages of 20-25, so there wasn't much structure.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 04
    It just helped with rotating shifts. I come into my shift one day and I want to say maybe an hour into it, our District Manager including other higher ups came into our store unannounced.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 05
    We usually always get notified when they make an appearance. They took one of our Lead Supervisors to a private room while the rest of us worked the retail floor.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 06
    As i'm working the front register, I notice cops walk into our store and head straight to the back room.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 07
    That Lead Supervisor got fired on spot and walked out in handcuffs. Come to find out, he was doing fake returns without receipts and adjusting price to put money in his own debit card.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 08
    The kicker was seeing the following 3 other coworkers of mine get fired that same day for being in compliance with completing some of his transactions.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 09
    About $2500 worth of money took from the company over a period of time. What's also crazy to me is before this incident, he had asked me could I return a pair of pants for him.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 10
    He stated he didn't have the receipt and that it's been about a year since he had these pants.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 11
    I declined cause I felt uncomfortable doing something like that, especially if we were so strict on return policy for regular customers.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 12
    He gave me that "playful" attitude but I knew I didn't want to be apart of that.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 13
    Unfortunately, we had lost 2 managers and 2 employee associates which made the store go downhill.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 14
    We were already short staffed as is! Bonus: We met up I think a year after he was fired to catch up.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 15
    Found out that the snacks and drinks he would offer us, he intentionally used people's cards that was locked away in a special drawer.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 16
    Only management had access with our keys. Those cards were from customers that were accidentally left behind, so we stored it away hoping they would come back.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 17
    hand holding multiple credit cards
    via Avery Evans for Unsplash

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 18
    Nope, customers that didn't know there card was lost was still active so he was swiping away.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 19
    BuddhaDaddy88 It's very strange to me that "lost" cards from customers weren't deactivated and were still active, and that no banking alarms made it to those cardholders after those charges. I guess that's several people who never reported them lost and never looked at their online activity?
    via BuddhaDaddy88
  • 20
    Hoo_Who I think you'd be surprised at how...uninvolved people are in their own finances. (My family falls into this category and it's truly baffling watching them navigate life.)
    via Hoo_Who
  • 21
    Charming-Charge-596 I'm always shocked at this - like who doesn't pay attention to their finances? But then I realize my spouse wouldn't have a clue and would probably pretend the card wasn't lost. He'd be like "Yeah, I haven't seen my VISA card in a while but I'm getting a bill so it's here somewhere."
    via Charming-Charge-596
  • 22
    UnexplainableDose It was the fact that he knew which cards worked and how he was getting away with it. He was swiping away little charges at the snack kiosks.
    via UnexplainableDose
  • 23
    BuddhaDaddy88 I understood it perfectly. It's still strange and concerning that people don't cancel their sh when they lose it, and don't bother watching their bank transactions to see where it's being used when they don't.
    via BuddhaDaddy88

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retail work coworkers theft entitled people
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