Two people have been arrested over an alleged scheme involving the use of counterfeit barcodes to buy products at cheaper prices. Photo: Albert McKnight.
Two people have been arrested over an alleged scheme that involved applying fake barcodes to products inside a store, then buying the items for a cheaper price.
An ACT Policing spokesperson alleged a woman went into a store in Gungahlin and stuck printed barcode stickers on a number of items on Saturday morning (26 July).
“The barcodes scan items at lower prices than were marked by the store,” the spokesperson said.
The woman then allegedly scanned these items at the cheaper price, paid for them and tried to leave.
But staff spotted her and stopped her from leaving, as she had previously been banned from entering the store.
Police officers arrived and placed her under arrest. When they searched her vehicle, they allegedly found a number of other items used to make fake barcodes.
The woman, a 44-year-old from NSW, was charged with theft, joint commission obtain financial advantage by deception and trespassing.
She was remanded in custody by the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday (28 July).
Meanwhile, a 37-year-old man from NSW who had been in her car during the search was also arrested.
He was charged with joint commission attempt to obtain financial advantage by deception and was also scheduled to face the Magistrates Court on Monday.
