Neglect at cash registers leads to Sears, Kmart employee training for credit card purchases

Identity theft can occur in a number of ways, including having a credit card stolen.

However, cashiers may be able to avoid the fraudulent use of credit cards by making sure they ask for identification and verify a signature on a receipt matches the one on the back of a card.

A recent investigation by Houston television station KHOU showed that cashiers at Sears locations in the area processed transactions despite the fact that the purchaser was using a credit card that wasn’t theirs. Along with never asking for photo identification, some of the retailer’s employees neglected to double check signatures.

“Our policy states that cashiers should match the signature on the sales receipt with that on the back of the credit card,” company spokeswoman Kimberly Freely told KHOU. “If the card is not signed, a picture ID is required.”

Because of the findings from the station, the company will retrain employees at more than 2,150 Sears and Kmart locations in the U.S., including those in the Houston area.

Though credit cards do provide an avenue for identity thieves, federal law does limit the amount of liability for cardholders. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers are limited to $50 in liability per card.

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