Ohio men collected $68K in prepaid Home Depot orders — 50 different times — by posing as contractors, lawsuit claims

The thefts totaled more than $68,000 over 50-plus incidents.

Shopping online and picking up your items at the store can be a convenient way to fit shopping into your schedule, but it can also expose you to new vectors for fraud. Knowing how these schemes work is the first step toward avoiding becoming a victim.

In-store pickup is convenient, but flawed

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, several internet-enabled trends that had been around for years suddenly became a much bigger part of people’s lives.

Years before Zoom became one of the most talked about tech companies, for example, Skype brought online video chat to the masses; apps like Uber Eats and Grubhub went from being niche options for when people didn’t feel like going out to being an essential part of people’s lifestyles; and buy online, pickup in store (which the retail industry calls BOPIS) became an essential part of shopping.

The pandemic made going to a store, meandering through the aisles and waiting in line with other shoppers far less popular.

Being able to pick out what you want, place an order online, and have it ready to pick up by the time you reach the store went from being a novelty to an essential part of how people shop.

Even after the health risks associated with in-person shopping faded, many customers had become accustomed to the convenience.

Many stores have implemented robust systems to track exactly who picks up each package. They assign employees to handle online orders and ensure each step of the process is documented. They also often require customers to prove they bought the goods they’re picking up, sometimes requiring customers to show an ID to pick up their order.

But cases such as the alleged thefts in Ohio show that these systems aren’t foolproof.

Retailers have already built enough friction in the process of ensuring that the person who placed an order is the one who picks it up. What happens if someone arrives without identification?

What if their ID doesn’t match the information the employee is looking for? What if they send a friend or family member to collect the order?

Purchase protection is a good way to protect yourself

If you buy something online and find that someone else picked it up, it’s not necessarily a problem.

Some businesses may take your word for it if you can prove that you made the purchase and replace the missing items at their own expense.