Kent Police have issued a warning to local businesses about a refund theft scam targeting merchants in the Kent Valley area.
Police said that over the past week, several businesses have reported losses totaling up to $2,000 from a scheme involving unauthorized refunds processed on the store’s payment devices.
According to police, the suspects, described as three young adult Black males, enter stores and select items to purchase. At the register, they claim the “tap to pay” feature on their phone isn’t working and request to manually enter their credit or debit card information. The suspects insist on handling the merchant’s payment device themselves, citing concerns about privacy. While the merchant is distracted, the suspects allegedly initiate refunds to the card they entered, effectively transferring funds from the business to their own account.
One business reported a loss of $500, while another reported a loss of $1,500.
The suspects were last seen driving a gray 2006 BMW with Washington license plates. Merchants described the suspects as “aggressive,” a tactic believed to be used to distract clerks during the fraudulent transactions.
“If you run a register in Kent for any business, we are suggesting that you never hand your merchant payment device to anyone who is not an employee,” police said in a statement. “Please tell the customer you are happy to enter in their cc number but are not allowed to let anyone except an employee to handle the business’s payment device. If the customer is aggressive or you otherwise feel unsafe after denying them access, call 911.”
Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to contact the Kent Police Tip Line at 253-856-5808 or by email at KPTTipLine@kentwa.gov.
