POLICE are searching for a pair of men who attempted to scam self-checkout users.
The men were spotted at a Walmart in Las Vegas putting a gadget on one register.
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The device known as a skimmer is able to record the information of unsuspecting customers who use the kiosk.
Shelby Police claim that the men put the point-of-sale overlay device on one of the self-checkouts on June 7.
The device was only discovered on June 12, meaning a number of shoppers will have fallen foul of the scam.
Sgt Seth Treadway from the Shelby Police Department explained how easily the device clips onto the register.
“It took them literally seconds to install it,” he said.
Treadway added that the gadget records the number on the card that is used to pay for the shop.
A camera then records the shopper putting in their pin.
Skimmers either have to be retrieved by the scammers later on or the data can be sent to them wirelessly.
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According to cops, the device will be analyzed by the Secret Service after a number of skimmers have been found across the state.
A photograph has been released of the two men suspected of attaching the device to the kiosk.
Treadway has warned shoppers who believe that they used the self-checkouts at the Walmart store during the time the device was active should continue to check their bank accounts.
He added that self-checkout users should be wary of the devices and keep an eye out for them before entering their card and details.
Police are asking people who may recognize the men or have seen discrepancies in their bank account to call 704-484-7153.
Only last month, four men were charged after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from Walmart customers using the same trick.
Theft has become a major scourge for retailers such as Walmart.
The popular grocery store retailer closed its two stores in Portland, Oregon on March 24 amid rising crime rates.
Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC Squawk Box in December last year that theft “is higher than what it has historically been.”
Meanwhile, some lawyers are warning shoppers to avoid self-checkouts due to the risks they pose.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/8392152/cops-seek-men-in-walmart-self-checkout-scam/