Saline police say quick-change artist scammed cashier out of $100
Saline police say a man duped a grocery store clerk out of $100 by confusing her with multiple bills and claiming he was short-changed.
The man walked away with $100 from the Country Market, 1335 E. Michigan Ave., on June 23. Employees called police at about 7 p.m. after the clerk recounted the incident for managers because she realized her cash drawer was short.
She told police the man paid for roughly $5 worth of groceries with a $100 bill, and then said he’d rather pay with a $20 bill. He got change for the $20, and then asked for his $100 bill back.
After the clerk handed him the bill, he flashed her a $10 bill in the same hand and claimed she had short-changed him, reports said. She took the $10 back and handed him another $100 before he left.
He was described only as a short, heavyset black man in a suit.
Employees at two Saline eateries were victims of quick-change scam artists in early March, police said. Cathy Ann Thacker, a repeat offender with convictions for similar crimes dating back to 2007, was arrested for both crimes and has several cases pending in court.
Detective Don Lupi said it’s quite common employees don’t realize they’ve fallen victims to a larceny until long after the scam. In some cases, employees are either too embarrassed or fear ramifications from co-workers or employers if they report the incidents.
Lupi encouraged anyone to report similar activity to police as soon as possible because quick change thieves typically steal small bills and strike numerous times for a substantial payday.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Lupi at 734-429-7911 or e-mail him at dlupi@cityofsaline.org.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
LaMusica
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 2:11 p.m.
Just to clarify my comment...people would make the mistake of handing over a smaller bill, thinking they gave the clerk a bigger bill and then dispute the change. It's easier to do than you think.
LaMusica
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 2:08 p.m.
@ronn...would it be a crime if it happened to you? Say the clerk did it to the customer and not the other way around...she says she gave you your correct change, flashes a smaller bill at you, you're in a hurry, don't want to hold up the line, make a scene, whatever, and you just leave; you could have made a mistake by thinking you gave a bigger bill. Would you feel as if a crime hadn't been committed then? Same thing. I worked in retail for 4 years and stuff like this is why I always kept whatever cash I was handed out of the drawer until the transaction was over. That's a good way to avoid this, as Peregrine noted.
LaMusica
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 1:54 p.m.
@ronn...would it be a crime if it happened to you? Say the clerk did it to the customer and not the other way around...she says she gave you your correct change, flashes a smaller bill at you, you're in a hurry, don't want to hold up the line, make a scene, whatever, and you just leave; you could have made a mistake by thinking you gave a bigger bill. I worked in retail for 4 years and people would do that (often an honest mistake), and that's why I always kept whatever cash I was handed out of the drawer until the transaction was over. That's a good way to avoid this, as Peregrine noted.
krc
Mon, Jul 5, 2010 : 9:52 a.m.
Shades of 'Paper Moon'!
Peregrine
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 7:06 p.m.
@ronn oneal, If you give a person a $100 bill, and through sleight of hand they claim you only gave them $10, and you seeing only $10 exchange it for another $100, how is that not a crime? That's blatant, but even more subtle cases should be criminal as well. When you take something of value from someone by causing them to believe something you know to be false, by word or deed, you've committed a crime in my mind.
Ricebrnr
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 1:09 p.m.
I think ron oneal just invited everyone in the vicinty to trick him out of whatever thay can, no harm, no foul no prosecution. Very kind of you Ron, especially in this economy.
Michigan Reader
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 12:51 p.m.
@ronn oneal--The crime is called "False pretenses with intent to defraud", and in this case it's a misdemeanor, because it's less than $200.00.(MCL 750.218)
Marcus
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 12:25 p.m.
Ron if the money is not yours...it is theft...Furthermore it is not about people not wanting to work...That is a Jedi Mind trick! The problem is that if you had a Degree and a good job for the last ten or twenty years and now you are forced to live a 8 or 9 dollars an hour if you can get that. That is the problem you go to school to get a better life yet it is being denied. Before anyone says a word, if you think that 8 or 9 dollars an hour is reasonable wage to live off of, get ur head checked!
M.
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 11:36 a.m.
ronn oneal - last I knew, purposely taking $100 from anyone who was unwilling, business or individual, was a crime. If we use your logic, we would say that a girl who's drink was laced with GHB was then responsible for the rape that occurs and no crime was committed simply because she should have been aware of her drink. Quick change artists are prosecuted under the law and there are punishments for them, so I think it's well established that this is a crime. The difference between this and you giving your money to someone who isn't as down-and-out as you thought is that you gave up your amount of money willingly, even if you regret it later.
ronn oneal
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 10:54 a.m.
The suit was the perfect prop for this kind of scam. Holding a sign on the corner and we give them money is a scam but nobody is looking to lock them up. Most are able to work but rather take you money to live off but thats not a crime. Being short changed isnt a crime either.(in my book)
ronn oneal
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 10:48 a.m.
People! Explain to me the crime committed for confusing a person to believe its raining when in fact its clear and sunny? No robbery. No theft. No crime. Cashiers mistake and I feel for her misfortune but again explain the crime. Harm yes. victim yes. crime NO!
Peregrine
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 10:42 a.m.
I've seen some cash register clerks put the bills given to them by the customer kept segregated (sometimes perpendicular to the other bills) until all change is given. That way, if there's any question as to what the customer handed the clerk, s/he can say without question.
Marcus
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 7:08 a.m.
This is one of the oldest grifts running...It will confuse the average person when a seasoned con artist pulls this. This is nothing but a sign of things to come.This is because as people with college degrees and just hard working Americans are being reduced to a lump of coal so to speak in terms of net worth by this new economic system purposely rolled out.
yohan
Sat, Jul 3, 2010 : 5:58 a.m.
Thar clerk seems to have all of the qualifications needed to be mayor of Ann Arbor