Colorado Springs police say a shoplifting case led them to a device that can produce bogus store receipts.
The investigation also found genuine receipts that detectives believe were collected from trash cans outside stores, prompting a warning to customers to wait until they get home before throwing them away.
Here's what to know
According to KOAA, the Colorado Springs Police Department's Metro Retail Pawn and Metal unit was called to a store on Oct. 14 after an asset protection employee reported watching two suspected repeat shoplifters. Detectives said the pair later allegedly tried to leave with merchandise after going past all points of sale, about 30 minutes after police arrived.
Once the suspects left the store and abandoned a cart, detectives searched a vehicle in the parking lot. Police said they found suspected illegal drugs, numerous new boxed items believed to be stolen, counterfeit receipts, and a machine officers say was used to make fake receipts.
Police also recovered receipts investigators believe they took from trash cans outside retail stores. During a police interview, the blotter said one suspect admitted stealing merchandise and selling it on Facebook Marketplace.
Colorado Springs police ultimately charged Nicole Buttery, 47, and Jarrod Davis, 37, with money laundering, forgery, and theft. Detectives said additional drug charges were expected after laboratory testing.
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More background
Derek Wilson, a public information officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department, told KOAA that discarded receipts can help thieves make stolen merchandise look legitimate. He said someone who pulls a receipt from the trash may use it to try to return an item they never purchased or to claim merchandise is theirs while leaving a store.
"Those retailers have to pass along the lost cost to the law-abiding consumer, so it comes back around no matter what," he said.
The Oct. 14 investigation also led to police recovering suspected drugs: 30 grams of powdered fentanyl, 81 grams of psilocybin, and 131 grams of marijuana. Detectives said they recovered $851 worth of merchandise and returned it to the retailer.
Police also said they found a truckload of additional merchandise that investigators planned to return to local retailers once they identified the businesses.
What can be done?
Police told KOAA that shoppers should keep store receipts and dispose of them at home instead of using trash cans outside businesses. Wilson warned, "When you throw your receipt away in the trash outside of a local retailer, there are criminal elements that are watching and or coming back after the fact."
KOAA reported police are also urging consumers to be cautious when buying new, unopened items on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp. Wilson said a low price alone does not prove an item is stolen, but added, "If you see a deal that sounds too good to be true, as the old adage says, it probably is."
He recommended asking sellers when they got the item and whether they can provide a receipt or other proof of purchase. Other warning signs include pressure to buy right away, prices far below retail, and profiles with little history or only recent ratings.
Wilson said, "We want to educate the community. That's part of why we're having this conversation, and we will enforce when necessary."
Where can I learn more?
Similar cases show how retail theft and fraud can take very different forms. These stories cover fake vehicle records, self-checkout losses, and organized pet store thefts.
• Texas DPS said four men moved car inspection analyzers and produced 24,000 fake passes.
• Retailers found self-checkout led to theft and delays instead of the savings they expected.
• Maryland and Virginia police said thieves stole 60 reptiles from pet stores.
• Georgia police used Walmart surveillance to hunt a man over $30 in cash.
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