“Quick changing” artist snares $250 from Wal-Mart

By Carrie Sidener
Media General News Service
Published: April 8, 2008

A scam left a Lynchburg business short $250, police said.

The Lynchburg Police Department is investigating the larceny from the Wal-Mart store on Wards Road on March 21.

The theft happened around 10:51 p.m., when an unknown suspect tricked the clerk with a process called “quick changing.”

Quick changing is done through the legitimate purchase of an item.

Once change is given, some of the money is put away while the rest is still in the hand of the suspect.

Then, a separate amount of money is given to the clerk, often shuffled or counted quickly, then put with the original change in the suspect’s hand.

The suspect often tells the clerk that that money has been added to the original change the clerk handed to the suspect. Then the suspect asks for a larger bill.

The suspect asks the clerk to count the money the suspect presented, which does not have the amount given by the cashier.

The suspect then gives the short amount to the clerk with the larger bill the clerk gave him and asks for a larger bill.

The process can continue until the suspect has a large amount of money — in the case of Wal-Mart, $250.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 798-5900.

Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.

The people who provided tip numbers 08-009, 08-011, 08-014, and 08-031 are asked to contact Lieutenant J.C. Bauserman of the Lynchburg Police Department at (434) 455-3747 to collect reward money.

Bauserman requests the calls be made Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.