I was standing at the self-checkout in a Boots store in London. As usual, someone had left their receipt behind on the machine. I glanced at it not be

How a Forgotten Receipt Can Lead to a Clever Scam

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2025-01-10 14:00:02

I was standing at the self-checkout in a Boots store in London. As usual, someone had left their receipt behind on the machine. I glanced at it not because I’m nosy, but because I’ve noticed people do this all the time. They pay, grab their bag, and walk away, leaving their purchase history and payment details printed neatly on a piece of paper for anyone to see.

It got me thinking: what if someone used this innocent-looking receipt for something malicious? You might laugh and say, “Come on, it’s just a receipt.” But trust me, an attacker with a bit of creativity can turn it into a scam that fools even the smartest people.

Let’s say an attacker finds a discarded Boots receipt. It’s from Bishopsgate, London, dated January 10, 2025, with a total payment of £28.40. The items purchased? A Gillette razor kit and a dental kit. The receipt also shows the last four digits of the victim’s debit card (7363) and the exact time of the transaction.At first glance, it seems harmless. But for someone with a bit of OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) skills, it’s a treasure trove of data.

Hello [Victim’s Name], We’re contacting you about your recent purchase of £28.40 at our Bishopsgate store (Store 1103) on January 10, 2025, at 12:41 PM. Due to a self-checkout error (Till 32), your payment may have been processed twice. Please check your bank statement to confirm if you see two identical charges for this amount. Once confirmed, we’ll process a refund immediately. Click here to proceed: [Secure Refund Link]