Return fraud

Return fraud is the act of defrauding a retail store by means of the return process. There are various ways in which this crime is committed. For example, the offender may return stolen merchandise to secure cash, steal receipts or receipt tape to enable a falsified return, or use somebody else's receipt to try to return an item picked up from a store shelf.

Return fraud and theft have been reported to lead to price increases for shoppers. Some stores create strict return policies such as "no receipt, no return" or impose return time restrictions.