A Target item priced at $32.99 appeared at checkout for only $1.29 after a different barcode was scanned, Port St. Lucie police said.
Store loss-prevention employees stopped 76-year-old Joan McKeon at the Target in Tradition and contacted officers.
Target investigators said the transaction was not an isolated incident. They accused McKeon of using the same barcode-switching method at the store over a period of nearly one year, according to Hometown News.
When officers searched her purse, they found 28 barcode stickers. McKeon was charged with scheme to defraud and transported to the St. Lucie County Jail.
Officers Found 28 Barcode Stickers in Her Purse
Police said McKeon entered the store carrying barcode stickers associated with lower-priced merchandise. After selecting an item, she allegedly placed or used one of those barcodes so the checkout system recognized the merchandise as a different product carrying a lower price.
The item involved in the latest transaction had a retail price of $32.99. The replacement barcode caused it to scan for $1.29. Loss-prevention employees told police that McKeon had been carrying out the same scheme at the Target location for nearly one year.
Police searched McKeon’s purse and recovered 28 barcode stickers. Many were marked with the names of other retailers, including TJ Maxx, Publix and Burlington, according to the Port St. Lucie Police Department. The discovery gave investigators a collection of labels that could potentially be scanned instead of the genuine barcodes attached to merchandise.
She Faces a Scheme to Defraud Charge
Police arrested McKeon on a scheme to defraud charge and transported her to the St. Lucie County Jail. The scope and degree of the criminal charge may depend on evidence from earlier transactions identified during Target’s investigation. Police did not disclose the products or prices associated with the other stickers.
No plea, conviction or final court resolution had been reported following the arrest. The charge is an allegation, and McKeon is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Shoppers Should Check the Product Shown at Checkout
Customers using self-checkout should compare the item name and price displayed on the screen with the merchandise they are scanning. An unexpected product description or unusually low price may indicate that a label was misplaced, damaged or deliberately changed.
A shopper who notices a barcode covering another label should avoid removing or scanning it and notify a store employee. Customers should also review their receipts before leaving, since a mismatch can create problems with returns, warranties or proof of purchase even when the shopper did not alter the label.
Suspected barcode switching or other retail fraud should be reported to store management or loss-prevention personnel rather than confronted directly. Photographs, receipts, transaction times and surveillance footage can help retailers and investigators determine whether a pricing discrepancy was accidental or part of a repeated scheme.