The Brief
- A quick-thinking Dollar Tree store manager prevented an older customer from losing $1,000 to a phone fraudster.
- The scammer promised the victim a new truck if he purchased a pair of $500 store gift cards.
- Clearwater police presented the vigilant retail employee with the prestigious Samaritan Award for saving the man’s money.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – A Clearwater retail worker received a formal commendation after stepping in to protect an older customer from a gift card scam.
Clearwater fraud intervention
What we know:
Theresa Harmon, a manager at a Dollar Tree in Clearwater, was working at her register when she noticed several immediate warning signs.
An elderly customer successfully bought a $500 gift card and immediately tried to purchase a second one, but that transaction failed.
The man briefly walked out of the business before returning a few minutes later while holding his phone out. …