‘I’m literally freaking out’: Walmart shopper issues warning on new banking scam

A Walmart shopper who says a stranger asked her to scan a QR code at a store is warning people of what she believes to be a new scam—illustrating it's perhaps prudent to avoid both strangers and unknown QR codes.

The nearly nine-minute video detailing the saga from Atlanta-based creator Kissezforyou (@kissezforyou1) was posted to TikTok on Sept. 11 and has received more than 710,000 views since.

What happened at Walmart?

In it, she begins by saying, "Let me tell you guys about a new scam that's happening right now. I don't know if it's nationwide, but it happened to me." She then sets up the scenario: She's shopping at Walmart and is approached by a woman who claims to be with "a brand." (She likened her to workers at an AT&T kiosk in a store, trying to get people to switch cellphone carriers.)

Because Kissezforyou was "not in [her] right space" and wanted to avoid conversation when offered a QR code to scan on the stranger's badge to get more information about the brand, she did so—and then immediately regretted it.

"She walk away, OK. Literally, the only thing that pops up is her badge, and it says 'active,' and it's nothing else but her badge and a picture of her and supposedly her name," she relayed. She then reports that after watching the stranger for 10 minutes, who was transfixed by her phone the whole time, she left the store without her purchases, "discombobulated" by the whole affair.

A mysterious call

She calls Bank of America worried, but they report nothing fraudulent is happening with her account. A few days later, she gets a call from someone claiming to be from Bank of America, showing up as BofA with the correct phone number on caller ID, saying that someone is trying to send her money through a gaming app.

"I'm literally freaking out on the phone," she reports, saying that the person on the phone said it seemed like a fraudulent transaction attempt and they needed an access code from her to proceed to fix it. She had the wherewithal to hang up and call Bank of America back, which then confirmed her suspicion that the incoming call was not actually from the bank.

She then goes into her travails with several actual Bank of America employees, suspicious of them asking her to verify an access code they sent her even though she called the bank directly.

"I have to basically change everything, order a new card, set up another security measurement, change my email address, all that just because I scanned one thing and she was able to access all of my information," she claims.

"They are very creative with their scams now," she added to conclude the lengthy video.

Walmart scams and QR code scams

While Walmart didn't have this specific type of scam identified on its big list of fraud alerts, it maintains a page on its website explaining all the different ways people are trying to prey on others.

There's a whole section on gift card scams worth reviewing during the holiday season, including info that "no legitimate government entity, including the IRS, Treasury Department, FBI or local police department, will accept any form of gift cards as payment."

It also warns, "If you get a call from a stranger who says that a loved one is in trouble and they ask you to provide gift card numbers to help them, hang up and contact your loved one directly."

It did provide one piece of advice that Kissezforyou hinted at: "Scammers can manipulate a caller ID to look like a legitimate company or government agency."

The site also covers phishing, vishing, and smishing tactics that some might try under the cover of Walmart.

QR code scams aren't new but they also weren't detailed on Walmart's page of fraud alerts. The site for Community Savings Bank in Illinois notes, "A QR code scam occurs when a QR code directs a user to a malicious link to gain personal information."

These can include quishing scams, in which the QR code takes a person to a site page asking for personal information that scammers can then use in their schemes.

@kissezforyou1 There is a new scam out BE AWARE!!! . . . #bankofamerica #scam #scammeralert #fraud #beaware #watchout #boa #nationwide #scammers #newscam #phonecall #mimicking ##walmart#at#atlt#atlanta ♬ original sound - Kissezforyou

Mixed reactions

While some commenters appreciated the heads-up that Kissezforyou provided, others panned her for her long-winded and wordy presentation.

"Please get to the point," one commenter scolded.

"Sorry you're taking too long to explain this," said another, prompting some to say they sought details of the story in the comments section.

There, people offered various insights.

"If your 'bank' ever calls you hang up and call them back," advised one.

"If you use debit cards get yourself a magnetic wallet," another commenter offered. "People can scan your debit card by just standing next to you." That person claimed, "[It] happened to me when I first moved to Atlanta; cleaned out my entire account."

Finally, one offered a policy of blanket distrust, saying, "Too many ppl fall for the most obvious scams. I’m not scanning, clicking or linking nothing."

The Daily Dot has reached out to Bank of America and Walmart via email and to the creator via TikTok direct message.

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