Money Laundering??

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Dope dealers obtain EBT cards at a discount from the dopers on welfare, in return for dope or cash.


This. You see this a LOT at many gas station mini marts although I wouldn't be surprised if the owner of the station isn't in on this and allowing it knowingly getting a kickback from the dealers.

I would say it is a loose form of racketeering and or organized crime.

You could call the state bureau of investigation and make an anon tip. It would be interesting to see the sting go down if you pass by the shady place regularly.


Gas station/convenience store owners typically take a 50% cut on converting EBT to cash. They wouldn't do it so blatantly in public or with that frequency.

 

[BRZED]

Originally Posted By: KzMitch
Should've just asked him.
What's he gonna do, stab you?

Yes.

Quote:
People in public ask me dumb questions almost daily.

The curse of looking knowledgeable strikes again.

 

[Turk]

The Cashier should've called Management.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: Turk
The Cashier should've called Management.


Why would he, likely getting a cut.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

What we know: There is a reason why.

What we don't know: What the reason is.

There is no way to know whether the reason is legit or shady, but if it were me, I'd ask the one person who might know ... the staffer who calmly processed the series of transactions.

 

[Panzerman]

There are a ALOT of illegal activities that take place right in front of you. I remember going into a shady little bar and seeing a hand written sign on the cash register that said they except EBT cards. I looked around it was a bar with nothing but potato chips and pickled bologny. I asked the bartender what does anyone buy with a EBT card in here? He said any f- ing thing they want. Yeah, its out there if you look for it. Probably could have bought more than beer there too.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
What we know: There is a reason why.

What we don't know: What the reason is.

There is no way to know whether the reason is legit or shady, but if it were me, I'd ask the one person who might know ... the staffer who calmly processed the series of transactions.


I wouldn't give it away that you noticed something possibly criminal in nature, if for no other reason to protect yourself from harm.

I'd go to the state or provincial crime task force website and file an anon tip, let the professionals handle it.

 

[stockrex]

Money laundering and $50 gift cards do not belong in the same sentence.

 

[Dave Hess]

I saw on tv some tattoo shops were being paid with EBT cards.... I'm not kidding.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
+1 Stolen gift card. For whatever reason he was keeping each hit under $100. I'd bet that if you looked into it there is some kid of tracking threshold on gift cards per transaction.

+2 on stolen gift card.


Originally Posted By: JHZR2
He ended up making ten transactions. Each one had some food item (a slim Jim or a red bull), and then a $50 gift card. I noted after the first or second time that he was paying for each of these separately, using the SAME GIFT card.

He was throwing away the receipts as they were produced, which was also odd...
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Maybe he was shopping for friends and wanted separate invoices for each person, and he wanted to turn the gift card into cash. That is also a possibility.......

He didn't keep receipts/invoices.

I don't know what was really wrong, but I think the most likely was stolen gift card was used in these transactions.


You picked up on some of the finer points where others didn't.

Stolen would make sense I guess.

It should be noted that the one he was paying with said gift card on the front... So I know it wasn't ebt. I also noticed that he selected "credit" on the machine each time. The machine has an option for ebt food.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
None of your business what he does with his money.




Where did I say it was? I was stuck behind this guy, and observed the repetitive transaction. I can post about it here all I care to.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: Turk
The Cashier should've called Management.


Why would he, likely getting a cut.


It was a wawa store. wawa is a fairly big chain in the mid Atlantic region these days. There was no indication to me that the cashier was more than an hourly worker, nor that each of them knew each other. The person buying these cards went from one line to the other based upon length, so there's no indication of cashier bias.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

I think all Wawa are company owned stores correct. If this is true than the owner wouldn't be in on this of course but the hourly cashiers might be.

 

[Dave Hess]

Cashier can't say squat for what he was doing.

 

[hatt]

Criminals always figure out a scam. Buying an item and a gift card probably doesn't flag transactions with stolen cards as easily. Probably the reason forcthe $50 cards instead of higher amounts.

 

[DoubleWasp]

That would be the first chain I've ever heard of that lets people buy gift card with anything but cash or debit.

 

[InfmousCornholio]

Not sure the computer let's anything but eligible EBT items go through anymore.

If it's anything like the 7-11 I work at, I would just go "OK, whatever" and process the transaction.

10 transactions at once is kind of someone being a tool.. I can see two, that can happen. But 10.. is a jerk..

 

[InfmousCornholio]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
I think all Wawa are company owned stores correct. If this is true than the owner wouldn't be in on this of course but the hourly cashiers might be.


That is kind of far-fetched..

I still haven't figured out the scam here! Just an inconsiderate customer.