Retail & Restaurant Fraud: Floor, POS & Online

Gift-card & mule schemes

Callers pretend to be corporate, utility, police, or even the store owner and coach cashiers or customers to load cards. Sometimes employees are hired as “secret shoppers” to buy cards and share codes. Train: no gift-card purchases for strangers over the phone, and no employee should ever buy cards for a “test.”

QR menu & payment swaps

Stickers over table QR codes can send diners to fake payment pages. Inspect codes regularly, prefer merchant-controlled menus, and use official POS QR features. Related consumer guide: fake QR code scams.

POS, skimmers & fake managers

• Inspect card readers for overlays; keep spare sealed readers.
• “Corporate IT” will not cold-call for remote POS access — verify via known channels (tech support scams).
• Lock manager functions; do not share override codes across the whole crew.
• Enable MFA on POS cloud, scheduling, and payroll apps (2FA guide).

E-commerce & delivery apps

Lookalike storefronts and ads steal your brand traffic. Monitor domain lookalikes, claim official social handles, and report imposter ads. For delivery apps: unique passwords + MFA, watch for sudden payout-destination changes, and verify driver/account emails out-of-band.

• Checkout must be HTTPS — secure servers guide.
• Use a reputable payment processor; avoid “cheaper gateway” cold pitches.
• Alert customers on your real channels if a fake shop appears.

Staff rules that fit on a break-room card

1. 1
   No gift cards for phone instructions.
2. 2
   No remote access from inbound calls.
3. 3
   Check QR stickers every shift open.
4. 4
   Manager verifies any “corporate” payment change.
5. 5
   Report odd messages — paste into ScanBeyond.

FAQ