(no subject)
We got scammed at work yesterday.
Well no, I didn't get scammed. I knew it was a scam as it was happening. There was just nothing I could do about it, so the store ended up getting scammed anyway.
You see, about four months ago, a man came in and managed to get $10 out of my coworker Liz. After we realized what had happened, Erika wrote out a page of information on how to recognizes scamming schemes and posted it so everyone would know what to look for. As far as I know, nothing has happened since. Until yesterday.
I was alone behind the counter because Sherry, The Manager, was outside having a smoke. The store was empty except for perhaps one customer engrossed in her computer across the way. A man came up to the counter and ordered a small light roast, double cupped. He paid with a twenty. I gave him his ten, his five, three singles and his change. He turned to leave, moving past the bar towards the entrance. But then he turned around and came back and said that I hadn't given him his ten as he laid out the five and singles on the counter. That is when I recognized him.
He was the same man who got ten dollars in this exact same way from Liz four months ago. Middle aged, salt and pepper hair, white but a bit dark skinned (perhaps Italian). A bit heavy and a little under six foot. I had seen the man during the previous encounter (although I was in the back when he first approached Liz and began his scam). I knew who he was in that instant. I told him right out that I had given him the ten, citing the reason that I had one ten in my drawer when I opened it for his purchase and now, opening the drawer, I didn't have a ten. He made a show of looking on the ground on his side of the counter and asked me to do the same on my side. I obliged even though I knew I had handed him his proper change.
Because he was insistant that I hadn't given him his correct change, I polietly told him alright, it would just take me few minutes to count down the drawer to make sure I didn't have $10 in it. I waited for Sherry to come back in and then retreated to the back where I counted the drawer. Twice. Nope, it was even. I didn't have his ten still sitting here.
I half expected him to be gone when I came back out (the idea of counting the drawer being that the scammer would think it was too much effort and he would be obviously proven wrong by the action) but he was still there waiting. And I told him the drawer was even, so I clearly must have given him all of his change. He started to get a little short, saying he didn't have it and no one else was in the store to have picked it up if he had dropped it. Which obviously means I didn't give him the ten, which I did, or he had pocketed it. It was also like he wanted me to accuse him of that but knew I couldn't because of annoying store policies about making all customer's happy. Still, I had no intention of handing over the ten. Granted, I didn't know WHAT I was going to do, perhaps call him out on being here with the same problem last time and finding out that THAT drawer had turned up his ten dollars short. But then Sherry (who was busy with other customers I couldn't help her with because I was dealing with the man), just said "Give him the ten." So I did.
It was SO frustrating because I knew it was happening but I couldn't stop it. I tried though but there was only so much I could do when the manager tells me to just give in. Granted, ten dollars really isn't worth too much of a hassle, but this man clearly sees us as an easy target as he has come in multple times to pull the same trick. Which means he WILL be back in a few months, after he thinks it's safe to assume that we've forgotten him. I won't forget him after this though. I'm sure I'll recognize him the moment he walks in. And I will NOT put up with that shit again.
I had fucking BETTER be there when he tries it again.
Well no, I didn't get scammed. I knew it was a scam as it was happening. There was just nothing I could do about it, so the store ended up getting scammed anyway.
You see, about four months ago, a man came in and managed to get $10 out of my coworker Liz. After we realized what had happened, Erika wrote out a page of information on how to recognizes scamming schemes and posted it so everyone would know what to look for. As far as I know, nothing has happened since. Until yesterday.
I was alone behind the counter because Sherry, The Manager, was outside having a smoke. The store was empty except for perhaps one customer engrossed in her computer across the way. A man came up to the counter and ordered a small light roast, double cupped. He paid with a twenty. I gave him his ten, his five, three singles and his change. He turned to leave, moving past the bar towards the entrance. But then he turned around and came back and said that I hadn't given him his ten as he laid out the five and singles on the counter. That is when I recognized him.
He was the same man who got ten dollars in this exact same way from Liz four months ago. Middle aged, salt and pepper hair, white but a bit dark skinned (perhaps Italian). A bit heavy and a little under six foot. I had seen the man during the previous encounter (although I was in the back when he first approached Liz and began his scam). I knew who he was in that instant. I told him right out that I had given him the ten, citing the reason that I had one ten in my drawer when I opened it for his purchase and now, opening the drawer, I didn't have a ten. He made a show of looking on the ground on his side of the counter and asked me to do the same on my side. I obliged even though I knew I had handed him his proper change.
Because he was insistant that I hadn't given him his correct change, I polietly told him alright, it would just take me few minutes to count down the drawer to make sure I didn't have $10 in it. I waited for Sherry to come back in and then retreated to the back where I counted the drawer. Twice. Nope, it was even. I didn't have his ten still sitting here.
I half expected him to be gone when I came back out (the idea of counting the drawer being that the scammer would think it was too much effort and he would be obviously proven wrong by the action) but he was still there waiting. And I told him the drawer was even, so I clearly must have given him all of his change. He started to get a little short, saying he didn't have it and no one else was in the store to have picked it up if he had dropped it. Which obviously means I didn't give him the ten, which I did, or he had pocketed it. It was also like he wanted me to accuse him of that but knew I couldn't because of annoying store policies about making all customer's happy. Still, I had no intention of handing over the ten. Granted, I didn't know WHAT I was going to do, perhaps call him out on being here with the same problem last time and finding out that THAT drawer had turned up his ten dollars short. But then Sherry (who was busy with other customers I couldn't help her with because I was dealing with the man), just said "Give him the ten." So I did.
It was SO frustrating because I knew it was happening but I couldn't stop it. I tried though but there was only so much I could do when the manager tells me to just give in. Granted, ten dollars really isn't worth too much of a hassle, but this man clearly sees us as an easy target as he has come in multple times to pull the same trick. Which means he WILL be back in a few months, after he thinks it's safe to assume that we've forgotten him. I won't forget him after this though. I'm sure I'll recognize him the moment he walks in. And I will NOT put up with that shit again.
I had fucking BETTER be there when he tries it again.