Refund fraud? How do they catch you?

Question

So I was thinking, stores must have to way to prevent this, but how do they catch you? For example, say I bought a pillow from a department store like Macy's, and then the next day I return to Macy's, pick up aother pillow off the rack, and go to the cashier and tell them I want to refund this pillow with the receipt from yesterday.. How do they know that this pillow is not the one I bought yesterday, but one that I just pick up from the rack??

Answer 1

Most stores like that have hidden cameras everywhere.  I know from working at a department store many years ago, someone got caught "loading" a package.  

Loading means taking 1 out of several packages, and moving them into one package, so it has more than the appropriate quantity.  The guy then hid it behind the others, so he could return later and "just happen to" buy the right one.  (That way, he could claim that he didn't know.)

Since they had him on tape, security replaced the items, and put a note on the last box that said, "you're busted.  Turn around and put your hands up".

Answer 2

who knows but why risk it

Answer 3

each item has a bar code specific to it. They would see that the bar code registered on the receipt doesn't match the bar code on the item you brought.  This scam would be possible with a business that doesn't use bar codes and doesn't have the technology. Or, I heard of people taking a product out of the box and replacing it with something heavy and trying to do it that way.