Scammers deliberately confuse cashiers at the checkout counter as a ruse to walk away with more money. Here's how to identify quick change scams.
What’s the Quick Change Scam, and How Do I Protect Myself from It?
Updated on Apr. 15, 2025
When we hear the word “scam” these days, we immediately think of online scams. While digital scams dominate headlines, in-person retail cash scams continue to cost businesses thousands of dollars every year. One enduring example is the quick change scam, also known as the short change scam.
“Over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in more old-school or traditional fraud schemes,” says Mason Wilder, a certified fraud examiner and research director for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Some recent examples include two scammers who conned a Smyrna, Tennessee, cashier into taking $1,000 for merchandise worth $3,200, while another duo stole $1,800 from a retailer in Columbus, Ohio. Smaller transactions are especially ripe for quick change scams, as a restaurant in Suffolk County, New York, found out the hard way when a solo scammer got away with $125.
Reader’s Digest talked to Wilder and David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations at the National Retail Federation, to get to the bottom of these retail cash scams. Ahead, learn how to avoid quick change scams, and get actionable cash handling safety tips to prevent quick change fraud in retail establishments, restaurants and other cash-reliant businesses.
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What is the quick change scam?
“Your traditional quick change artist is trying to seek monetary gain by confusing a cashier into giving them more money than what they provided for a purchase,” Johnston says. For example, they might purchase a small item worth $2—like a water bottle or accessory—with a $100 bill. From there, they’ll frequently interrupt the cashier to create confusion, asking for different denominations of bills or repeatedly telling the cashier they need to pay with another bill.
The goal is to walk away with more cash than they came in with, by trading in lower denominations of cash for higher ones. A quick change scheme could also be used to swap out counterfeit currency, like a fake $100 bill, for real money, Wilder says. Scammers use distraction and urgency to throw off the cashier, who “might not take as close of a look at the bill for signs of it being counterfeit.”
How traditional quick change scams work
According to Crime Stoppers, a community crime prevention organization, quick change scammers typically target inexperienced cashiers so they can have the upper hand. They may also strike during busy times, when long lines create even more stress and urgency, or at the end of the night when cashiers are less alert.
Often, these scams are committed by a duo, but solo quick change scammers exist too. The scammer aims to confuse the cashier with tactics like talking fast, creating distractions and exchanging multiple bills. In many cases, one scammer gives the cashier directions, telling them how much they “really” owe, while an accomplice distracts the unwitting cashier.
How sleight-of-hand quick change scams work
In recent years, the quick change scam has taken on a new form. “There’s another scam we’re seeing more and more with organized retail crime groups called the sleight-of-hand quick change scam,” Johnston says. One recent scam artist who used this tactic was caught with $18,000 in cash at a mall near Houston, giving an indication of just how profitable these schemes can be when scammers travel from store to store.
Sleight-of-hand quick change scammers use different tactics than typical retail cash scam artists. Rather than purchasing a small item, slight-of-hand scammers buy large amounts of goods using a handful of bills. “They will count the money right in front of the cashier very openly, so the cashier hears how much is being put out on the counter, then ask the cashier to tell them the total again,” Johnston explains. “When the cashier turns away to look at the screen, they will use sleight of hand to remove some of the bills.”
Let’s say the scammer paid for $500 worth of merchandise with $440, after sliding a few bills back into their pocket. Once they get the goods and receipt, they can return the merchandise for its full value and walk away with $60 in cash. That seems like small change, but it adds up. “These quick change artists constantly go from retailer to retailer,” says Johnston. “It’s not just one and done. We’ve had some cases in these sleight-of-hand scams where individuals have netted five to six figures.”
How to avoid the quick change scam
Preventing quick change fraud starts with training employees to be aware of retail cash scams, and by setting cash-handling policies that are easy to follow.
If you have a storefront business or manage a grocery store or restaurant, avoid quick change scams by setting a limit on the types of bills customers can use. That way, when a cashier is handed a bill higher than $20, for example, they can just recite the policy: “We don’t accept large bills.” Beyond a blanket policy to avoid large bills, retailers should educate cashiers on how these scams work, and provide actionable steps they can take if they suspect a retail cash scam.
Quick change scams can happen anywhere, but Johnston says scammers usually hit metropolitan areas so they can jump from store to store. Although quick change scam cases make the headlines less often than trending online scams, they can still lead to big losses for businesses, so keep yourself, your employees and your bottom line safe by knowing how to spot a quick change scam.
Preventing quick change fraud: 4 strategies for cashiers
If you’re a cashier, these cash handling safety tips can help shield you from quick change scams. If you’re a business owner, reinforce these tips with your employees on a regular basis.
- Hold on to the money. Take the large bill or bills for payment, and place them across the register in front of you. That way you know exactly what the buyer gave you from the start.
- Don’t make change in the middle of a sale. Take the process step by step. Close out the original sale before taking on the next task of making change.
- Stay calm. If the customer continues to pressure or confuse you, ask them to please wait until you’ve carefully counted out the change.
- Ask for help. If you feel confused or overwhelmed, stop and ask for a manager to come help.
“Quick change scams are easily preventable, if each cashier takes their time and knows that this is something they shouldn’t get flustered about,” Johnston says. Effective cash handling safety tips and proper training are the cornerstones of preventing quick change fraud in any retail environment. When cashiers feel confused by a customer interaction, they should feel empowered to slow down and ask a manager for support. It’s not just good company culture—it’s also a great fraud prevention strategy.
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Sources:
- Mason Wilder, CFE, certified fraud examiner and research director for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- WGNS Radio News: “Smyrna Police Hunt for Suspects in $3,200 Walmart Quick Change Scheme”
- RiverheadLOCAL: “Cops: Man used ‘quick change scams’ to steal money from Riverhead businesses”
- Hoodline: “Columbus Retail Outwitted by Quick-Change Scam Artists on Polaris Parkway, Police Seek Public’s Aid”
- David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations at the National Retail Federation
- ABC13 Eyewitness News: “Accused scam artist arrested at The Woodlands Mall had $18K cash and stolen goods, deputies say”
- Crime Stoppers: Quick Change Scam
