Scam “Returns” Cashier To Prison
Defendant Erika Mitchell
In November of 2007, Lexington police were dispatched to a clothing store on Richmond Road regarding an employee theft. Loss prevention officials had discovered one of their cashiers, Erika Mitchell, was stealing money from the company by generating false returns. The loss was estimated at approximately $2,000.
Prosecutor Dan Laren
Here’s how the scam works. The cashier collects receipts that customers discard on the way out of the store and then uses that information to create a fake return. The cashier then processes the bogus return and keeps the money. It looks good to the casual observer because the till balances, but security video and inventory controls will reveal that no customers or merchandise were involved and the transactions are just another form of employee theft.