WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A convenience store in Germantown lost nearly $25,000 this week in a gift card scam, prompting a statewide alert by law enforcement and a reminder from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.
“Keep your eyes open and be familiar with your company’s protocols and common procedures,” said Public Information Officer Sara Severson. “Typically if something seems odd or out of sorts, conflicts with protocols, then it’s time to take a second look or contact a supervisor to better explore what’s really going on.”
The Germantown store sold 28 Visa Netspend cards, each loaded with $890. The scammers convinced the clerk that they were paying with something called a “cash currency” card that would work if she used the “cash” button on the terminal instead of the credit card button.
The “cash currency” card was an inactive credit card, and by hitting the cash button the terminal activated the gift card even though it wasn’t paid for. According to Severson, the most effective way to prevent this scam, which greatly depends on the cashiers’ lack of experience, is through education. “Folks may be starting summer employment this time of year. Employees may not be in their roles quite as long or may be unfamiliar with how things work in their organization.
“This is an opportunity for managers or business owners to educate their staff,” added Severson.
