A woman walked into a Dairy Queen in Wayne, Michigan, ordered about $3 worth of food, and handed the clerk a $50 bill.
Nothing about the transaction looked particularly remarkable until the restaurant’s security cameras caught what happened to the change.
The woman turned away from the counter and appeared to tuck two $20 bills out of sight before turning back toward the clerk. She then insisted she had not received the money, according to a video published by WXYZ.
By the time the exchange was over, the clerk had handed her another $40. Wayne police now believe the same woman may have used the trick at other businesses around the area.
Now You See It
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The incident happened Tuesday night at the Dairy Queen near South Wayne Road and Chestnut Street, WXYZ reported.
Security footage shows the customer placing the small order and paying with a $50 bill. After receiving her change, she turns away from the employee and appears to put two $20 bills up her sleeve.
She then turns back toward the counter and disputes the transaction.
The employee behind the register was a teenager, according to the station’s reporting from Wayne police. After an argument over whether the woman had received her change, the clerk gave her another $40.
The woman took the money and left.
Same Routine
The incident may not have been isolated.
WXYZ reported that Wayne police believe the same woman has pulled the same maneuver at other businesses in surrounding communities and Downriver.
That makes the surveillance footage more than a record of one disputed transaction. Police are still trying to identify the woman as they investigate what they believe could be a series of similar thefts.
The Wayne investigation remained ongoing as of WXYZ’s Sept. 18 report.