Milwaukie mother linked to Target fraud scheme

Summary

Police said the scheme involved switching price tags of expensive items with 99-cent juice cup tags. "Most of the time the tellers were unaware that those items were ringing up for only 99 cents," a detective said.

Story Published: Jun 23, 2007 at 11:14 AM PDT

Story Updated: Jun 23, 2007 at 6:44 PM PDT

Milwaukie mother linked to Target fraud scheme

CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. - A Milwaukie mother is accused in a fraud scheme that bilked area Target stores out of an estimated $30,000, police said.

Police said the scheme involved switching price tags of expensive items with 99-cent juice cup tags.

"Most of the time the tellers were unaware that those items were ringing up for only 99 cents," said Portland police Detective Scott Chamberlain.

It happened at Target stores at Mall 205, Gateway, Fairview and on Sunnyside Road in Clackamas, police said.

The items were then sold on eBay to customers around the world. Police think the scheme was carried out for a year, though Target only caught on about three months ago.

Police helped set up a sting to catch the crook. Target employees around the country posed as eBay customers and bid on items they believed were part of the scheme, helping investigators gain evidence.

On Wednesday, police ended the investigation by arresting 33-year-old Heather Bays at the Clackamas Target.

So far she has only been charged with one count of second-degree theft. But more charges are pending a review of the case by prosecutors in Multnomah and Clackamas counties.

And she has been banned from all Target stores.

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