A former Nordstrom employee is accused of using the retailer’s return system to send herself $4,469.70 in refunds for merchandise that had not actually been returned.
Chelsea Schulz, 23, worked at the Nordstrom on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Police say eight fraudulent return transactions were connected to her personal account.
The investigation began on November 12, 2023, after officers were called to the store and spoke with a manager about suspicious return activity. According to a criminal complaint obtained by CBS12, Schulz accessed Nordstrom’s system, found completed returns involving merchandise that had not been returned and issued refunds to herself.
Schulz was arrested by Boynton Beach police on September 6, 2026, and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on a grand theft charge. Authorities also discovered an outstanding warrant for her from Osceola County.
Police Say Eight Refunds Went to Her Personal Account
The store manager told investigators that Schulz searched Nordstrom’s system for completed returns involving items that had not actually come back to the store.
Police say she selected merchandise that had not been confirmed as returned and issued refunds to her own account. Investigators identified eight transactions totaling $4,469.70.
The complaint details reported by CBS12 do not identify the merchandise involved or provide the amount of each individual refund.
Investigators Asked Which Card Received the Refunds
During the investigation, Schulz provided a store employee with a statement about the fraudulent activity and confirmed the accuracy of information being reviewed, according to the complaint.
Investigators then asked which card she had used for the transactions. Schulz provided the last four digits of the card number.
Police used the store’s records and information gathered during the investigation to build the grand theft case. The available reporting does not indicate that Schulz has entered a plea.
She Was Arrested Nearly Three Years Later
Although officers first responded to Nordstrom in November 2023, Schulz was not booked into the Palm Beach County Jail until September 6, 2026.
Boynton Beach police arrested her on the Palm Beach Gardens grand theft case. Officers also determined that she had an outstanding warrant from Osceola County, although the available reporting does not provide details about that separate matter.
The grand theft charge is an accusation and has not been proven in court. Schulz is presumed innocent unless convicted.
What to Check After a Nordstrom Refund
Nordstrom says refunds made with a sales receipt are generally credited to the purchaser’s original form of payment, including gift cards. Customers should keep their receipt, order confirmation or other return record until the refund appears.
For an in-store return, Nordstrom says customers can generally expect the refund within three to five business days. Mailed returns normally take eight to 12 business days to process, followed by another three to five business days for the refund to appear, depending on the financial institution.
If a refund does not appear when expected, customers can compare the return confirmation with their payment records and contact Nordstrom through its official customer service channels. Keeping the original receipt and refund confirmation provides a record of the merchandise returned, the amount expected and the payment method that should receive the credit.