Barcode Scams...
Ziripuvra Suman
about ripping people off... It is hypothetical.
I have an idea for a scam, and I'm sure I'm not the first to think
of it... A variation of the old "switching the price tags" thing.
I got hold of some UPC barcode generating software the other day
(Actually, it has UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8 and EAN-13), and I decided to try
typing in some numbers underneath barcodes (using UPC-A) I had around the
house (old packages, CD boxes, etc). When printed out, these codes matched
EXACTLY the patterns on the originals. They printed just as sharply on my
laser as they were on the originals.
My idea is this: I know that these codes do not carry the price
info, but are simply used to query a database in the store computer, which
has the price of the item. Let's say you want to buy that $300 boom-box on
the shelf at Wal-Mart or K-Mart or some other big warehouse store. But you
don't want to pay that much for it... So you go over to the $89 cheapo and
write down the barcode number on your "shopping list" and take the number
home with you. Enter it into the software, and print it out on a suitable
Avery label, and cut to fit the space of the original. Take this label
back into the store, get a shopping cart, put a few items in it, go into
the electronics section and put the expensive boom-box in the cart. Go
find a section of the store where there's a blind spot to the cameras, and
put the cheapo barcode sticker over the original. Pick a cashier who looks
like they'd never know the difference between a boom-box and a bag of
hammers, and go through the checkout line. It should ring up as the $89
item, right? I would think so. The cashier no wiser to the scam, and
hardly paying attention anyway since you intentionally came in at a very
busy time of day, you pay cash and walk out the door.
I'm scared to try it for the following reasons:
-Someone in the line behind you might know that the item you're
getting isn't that cheap and speak up. Don't know what I'd do about that
one. Play dumb, I guess... (I don't need to act for that anyway...) :-)
-The code doesn't read for some reason that I'm not accounting for,
and the cashier looks at the code and sees that it's stuck on there. Then
I leave at a brisk walk. (Maybe not, I could say that I don't know a thing
about it if he/she asks... "Must be someone fooling around," I'd say...)
-They pick up the disparity in the next inventory (How often do they
do them? Every week?) and go back through their checkout lane videotapes
to the time the cheap item was purchased, and there I am (they wouldn't
know who I was, but I'd rather they not have me on tape at all...) But I
don't know how the security cameras work in those places. Are they all
being taped and the tapes filed? Are they simply monitored by a team of
personnel with no taping at all? Are they taped and discarding the tapes
after a period of time, like 24 hours; maybe the tape loops every day or
two and erases what was on it before. I just don't know. Perhaps there are
no cameras under the domes at all. It would be expensive to pay enough
people to watch what was coming over every one of those cameras, even if
you assigned several cameras to a person. Casinos do precisely that, but
K-Mart?
Come on, get into the holiday spirit and start hypothesizing about this...
Please post! (Ain't no way I'm answering email about this...)
Flame if you like, I'm a hard-headed fellow (obviously).
Ziripuvra
Andrew Hall
Ziripuvra> Read no further if you are offended by hypothetical discussions
Ziripuvra> about ripping people off... It is hypothetical.
Ziripuvra> I have an idea for a scam, and I'm sure I'm not the first to think
Ziripuvra> of it... A variation of the old "switching the price tags" thing.
Ziripuvra> I got hold of some UPC barcode generating software the other day
Ziripuvra> (Actually, it has UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8 and EAN-13), and I decided to try
Ziripuvra> typing in some numbers underneath barcodes (using UPC-A) I had around the
Ziripuvra> house (old packages, CD boxes, etc). When printed out, these codes matched
Ziripuvra> EXACTLY the patterns on the originals. They printed just as sharply on my
Ziripuvra> laser as they were on the originals.
Ziripuvra> My idea is this: I know that these codes do not carry the price
Ziripuvra> info, but are simply used to query a database in the store computer, which
Ziripuvra> has the price of the item. Let's say you want to buy that $300 boom-box on
Ziripuvra> the shelf at Wal-Mart or K-Mart or some other big warehouse store. But you
Ziripuvra> don't want to pay that much for it... So you go over to the $89 cheapo and
Ziripuvra> write down the barcode number on your "shopping list" and take the number
Ziripuvra> home with you. Enter it into the software, and print it out on a suitable
Ziripuvra> Avery label, and cut to fit the space of the original. Take this label
Ziripuvra> back into the store, get a shopping cart, put a few items in it, go into
Ziripuvra> the electronics section and put the expensive boom-box in the cart. Go
Ziripuvra> find a section of the store where there's a blind spot to the cameras, and
Ziripuvra> put the cheapo barcode sticker over the original. Pick a cashier who looks
Ziripuvra> like they'd never know the difference between a boom-box and a bag of
Ziripuvra> hammers, and go through the checkout line. It should ring up as the $89
Ziripuvra> item, right? I would think so. The cashier no wiser to the scam, and
Ziripuvra> hardly paying attention anyway since you intentionally came in at a very
Ziripuvra> busy time of day, you pay cash and walk out the door.
Ziripuvra> I'm scared to try it for the following reasons:
Ziripuvra> -Someone in the line behind you might know that the item you're
Ziripuvra> getting isn't that cheap and speak up. Don't know what I'd do about that
Ziripuvra> one. Play dumb, I guess... (I don't need to act for that anyway...) :-)
Ziripuvra> -The code doesn't read for some reason that I'm not accounting for,
Ziripuvra> and the cashier looks at the code and sees that it's stuck on there. Then
Ziripuvra> I leave at a brisk walk. (Maybe not, I could say that I don't know a thing
Ziripuvra> about it if he/she asks... "Must be someone fooling around," I'd say...)
Ziripuvra> -They pick up the disparity in the next inventory (How often do they
Ziripuvra> do them? Every week?) and go back through their checkout lane videotapes
Ziripuvra> to the time the cheap item was purchased, and there I am (they wouldn't
Ziripuvra> know who I was, but I'd rather they not have me on tape at all...) But I
Ziripuvra> don't know how the security cameras work in those places. Are they all
Ziripuvra> being taped and the tapes filed? Are they simply monitored by a team of
Ziripuvra> personnel with no taping at all? Are they taped and discarding the tapes
Ziripuvra> after a period of time, like 24 hours; maybe the tape loops every day or
Ziripuvra> two and erases what was on it before. I just don't know. Perhaps there are
Ziripuvra> no cameras under the domes at all. It would be expensive to pay enough
Ziripuvra> people to watch what was coming over every one of those cameras, even if
Ziripuvra> you assigned several cameras to a person. Casinos do precisely that, but
Ziripuvra> K-Mart?
Ziripuvra> Come on, get into the holiday spirit and start hypothesizing about this...
Ziripuvra> Please post! (Ain't no way I'm answering email about this...)
Ziripuvra> Flame if you like, I'm a hard-headed fellow (obviously).
Ziripuvra> Ziripuvra
I hope you get caught if you try it. It is stealing and that is
wrong. Every one who shops at that store will be paying a little
extra if scum like you rips them off.
Grant Schampel
(Ziripuvra Suman) wrote:
> I'm scared to try it for the following reasons:
...
How about because it's a shitty thing to do, and just helps make this
world worse than ever? You have *no* basis in your life for doing things
other than what you crave and what you can get away with? Never gave a
thought to doing something good for anyone else or the community as a
whole? Think that because some store or manufacturer doesn't sell what
you crave cheap enough for you, that entitles you to rip them off and make
it even more expensive for honest folk?
Go crawl back under your rock.
--
Grant Schampel
Laboratory Information Systems, University of Minnesota Hospital & Clinic
Box 198 Mayo Bldg., 420 Delaware St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0392 (612) 626-3539
Opinions are my own, of course; not my employer's official views
also GCSch...@aol.com
Peter Kerr
> I have an idea for a scam, and I'm sure I'm not the first to think
Well, it didn't take long for them to come up with the stick-on price tags
that are pre-cut to disintegrate if you try to swap them.
So I just hope someone responsible has read this , or already thought of
it, and is working on a solution to protect those of us honest enough (or
dumb enough ?) not to do it :-(
--
Peter Kerr bodger
School of Music chandler
University of Auckland neo-Luddite