Two men accused of scamming multiple local stores

ACKERMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – Ackerman Police need your help finding two men accused of scamming local businesses.

The alleged scheme happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The One Quick Stop and SuperValu stores were two of the businesses hit.

Workers said this is the first time this type of scheme has happened at their stores.

“It’s really terrible that people come in and try to get over on people,” said manager of Supervalu Brandy Patridge.

Partridge was working her regular shift at Supervalu when the two men came in and tried to pull a fast one by her.

“I knew what was going on, it was my mistake, and I’m a be honest with you, I was watching him the entire time and he still got over on me,” said Patridge.

Surveillance video captured the men running the alleged swindling scheme.

Here how it works.

The men go into a store and use a large bill to pay for a small item.

While the clerk turns away to count the change, the one at the counter will slip more money into the pile and claim he paid for the item with more money than was given to the clerk.

Meanwhile, the other person distracts customers from noticing.

“He’s wanting you to count your change back several times, so in that point in mind you’re counting the money down and at the same time he’s trying to get money out to get change again while you’re trying to count it out,” described Patridge. “He keeps on stacking the money on top of the money until you are confused as to what’s yours and what’s his.”

“I believe he made like $600 in less than 30 minutes,” owner of One Quick Stop said Amir Kassim, who was also scammed by the two men.

The two men hit two stores in Ackerman and then another store in Oktibbeha County.

Police Chief Tim Cook believed the two men are from out of town.

Now, investigators are on the hunt to catch these two men and put an end to their money scheme.

“A lot of the smaller stores, they’re not chain stores so when they lose money like that, a lot of times they don’t get their money back,” said Chief Cook.

“Convenient stores always have some type of scam somehow, but what happen yesterday, this is the first time that I’ve seen been all my life,” expressed Kassim.

“What I should’ve done is just lock the door at that time and just make them stay until I have counted my till, and then I would know what was mine and what was his so I can give him back his correct change, and make sure that my drawer was straight,” said Patridge.

The two men took close to $200 from the One Quick Stop convenience store and got away with $129 from Supervalu.

If you have any information on these two men, you’re advised to contact the Ackerman Police Department.