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Short-change scammers at work in Wilkes County; experts say they're experts at fast-talking con game Over Thanksgiving weekend there was another sure sign of the holiday season in Wilkes County: scam artists trying to make a few fast bucks off busy local stores and restaurants. During Saturday's busy lunch rush at McDonalds, a woman paid for a small order of French fries with a $100 bill and engaged the cashier in distracting conversation. When the cashier made change, the woman said that she had short-changed her. In the confusion that followed, both the cashier and the manager on duty were taken in by the woman's scam and gave her an extra $45 in change. Sensing something had been amiss, the manager checked the register for a discrepancy and saw that $45 was missing. A review of McDonalds' video surveillance showed the woman expertly switching bills in the change she was given. It also showed the car she drove to the store. Washington Police Senior Patrolman Sallie Tanksley spotted the car at Huddle House, and confronted the woman on the video, Donna Huffman Reid. Although she first denied trying to scam the restaurant, she soon admitted what she had done. She reimbursed the $45 and was charged with disorderly conduct. It was later discovered that she had pulled the same scam at Fred's discount store, getting $100 in that transaction. She also made restitution in that case, the incident report said.
The short-change scam is one of many that fast-talking criminals use to take money from the unsuspecting, experts say, and anyone working in retail may encounter them. Although many companies train their employees to spot the scam, the thief is often far better at the scam than employees are at catching them.
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