JumpStart by Robb Armstrong for December 01, 2013

And make sure to look at all screens when items show up on the register, and check out the cashier’s keypad actions, as well as making sure any change/receipts are given straightaway… – I’ve seen how difficult it is, when one has to take the “rugrats” with them into the store, which could also distract in this regard, so it would seem helpful to have a trusted friend to help out…

And definitely read receipts, like Robb and Joe said!…. – And it helps to call your bank before and after transactions, to make doubly sure that your money is correct!….

Kind of like Dick Tracy’s crime stoppers

I have my bank computer set up to send a text message to my phone whenever a purchase is more than a certain amount. If I know I didn’t get cash back, so the amount shouldn’t be large enough, and I get a message anyway, I’ll know something isn’t right.I’m just making that suggestion for you guys … for myself, I always get cash back.btw, obviously that won’t work if you’re using paper checks. It’s only good if you use a debit card.

Pay with cash. The only cash back will be your change.

This “scam” is fiction. Just run “cashier cashback scam” in your favorite search engine to get the truth from any of a half-dozen reputable sources.

Marcy fell for it…

Thanks, Robb, I’ll be on the lookout

Yup. Total urban legend. Cash back must be entered by the customer, the cashier can’t do it on the register. Does no one read snopes?

Very disappointed that you’re spreading this rumor, Robb. I’ve been working retail for 20+ years and never once worked ANYWHERE where the option to select cashback is given to the cashier. 2 minutes on Snopes.com would have told you the truth.

The truth is if a cashier want to rip you off all she or he wait for people on their phone.

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/atm/cashback.asp

Disappointed. This rumor has been around for a while and doesn’t need to be started back up. It’s almost impossible that anyone who doesn’t have your PIN could access your account. But it is good to always check your receipts!!!

My son-in-law has a habit of throwing out receipts right away. So if something doesn’t fit, or you’re not sure if you paid for something, or the chicken is stinky when you take the plastic off – you’re out of luck. So keep those receipts!

Since the end if the penny in Feb 2013 (Canada) There are two things to watch for 1) ensure the cashier rounds off correctly and gives you the correct change. 2) Make sure the total amount owing that the cashier tells you is the actual price and not the rounded amount. .Take a look at the register total before you pay. Use the rounding to your advantage.

Had an incident at a thrift store, where the swipe machine did not process the card, and we had to do it twice… we were told that it (the total transaction) would only go through the one time… it went through twice. Had we not been on the lookout for that particular transaction, it could have been assumed that it was something else… the bank would have paid it out twice, and the store would have gotten it twice… – While it (the "Cash back scam) may not happen regularly , it doesn’t mean that it or similar scams aren’t happening at all …scams are still out there, and they’re not going to operate in a way to try to make themselves conspicuous… it’s the once in a while that makes them happen….

Click here for a link to a site that explains that it can happen with stores where the cashier can initiate the transaction… there are other sites<./a> as well, that speak to this…