Thank you for attempting to defraud the system

[FMA_Fanatic]

I hope this is the right section for it and I'm going to Fratching on this one because I suspect it'll end up being just that - a fratching topic.

Last night, I stopped at the grocery store by our house to pay a couple of utility bills (the one I've mentioned on the CS site a few times, and the one that I just can't seem to learn to not go to). I decide after getting the bills paid to pick up some soda since it's still on the awesome sale price.

I just have four cases of soda. Two lanes are open - 20 items or less and the regular lane. Both have WIC customers.

I will get this out of the way - I in no way have any issues with people who use WIC. My sister spent her child rearing years raising kids on WIC and food stamps. I know the reason for WIC and how it's used.

My problem was with the woman ahead of me who felt that she could try to game the system and use the WIC vouchers for items other than WIC.

The items she was trying to buy? A pack of ribs, bbq sauce, soy sauce, sweet potatoes and some paper goods - all definitely not WIC approved.

The cashier explained that she couldn't accept the items with the WIC voucher, and the woman did the ever familiar "but I've done it before, whine whine, I want a manager" spiel.

Cue manager who then tells the cashier, " Go ahead and approve it"

W.T.F.

I had it. I told the manager "I'm sorry, but that's fraud and if you allow that, I will report you and the store for welfare fraud." Manager's eyes go wide at that point. She mumbled something to the cashier and tried to get me to go to another lane. I refused, because I had already put my 12 packs on the belt and there were other people behind me. I doubted they'd have wanted to back up for me. I also suspected that the manager wanted to "talk" to me privately. I again refused.

I will be calling the Social Services office on Monday and reporting this to them. I pay my taxes, and I will be damned if someone is going to try to use them for fraudulent purposes. I wished I'd gotten the woman's name as well to report her but she ran off after she paid with her purchases (with cash, big surprise) and was gone by the time I paid for my items.

Ugh! This irritates me so much. It's pointless to report this store to the corporate office because I'm convinced that they've written it off. It's one of the worst stores in the area.

[bara]

I fully believe you did the right thing. Ive known people who truly need the help WIC provides and I wouldnt want this system to be abused. If stores would stick to the polices that they already have in place there would be far less people trying to abuse it. The customer probably had gotten away with it before. Doesnt make it right and desont make it legal.

I can promise you that corporate wont write off a formal fraud investigation. They risk losing thier WIC liscence and hefty fines.

[Greenday]

WIC should only be used on foods to help you survive. Not tons of frivolous stuff. Want nice stuff? Use your own money.

[jackfaire]

You totally did the right thing. I agree. I am all for helping people with my tax dollars but I think any and every fraud should be reported.

You know that "no one likes a snitch" thing that's only pushed so that people can continue doing illegal and immoral behavior sometimes to you directly without ever getting into trouble for it.

Plus fraud makes all of the honest people using those services look bad.

[Seifer]

I'm glad you spoke up. Stores need to realize that it's illegal for them to roll over and let a WIC SC have their way. Wellfare fraud is a serious matter, especially to those whose tax money goes into the program.

If you want to buy beer, barbeque sauce, and other frivolous junk, do it with your OWN money.

[HYHYBT]

Hmmm... I'd say you did the *wrong* thing. Only because, had you said nothing, the transaction would have gone through. Government officials can be at least as lazy and/or disinterested as corporate, and a complaint of "Store processed a fraudulent transaction on x date at y time in lane z" is much more concrete and easy to follow up on than "Store would have committed fraud if I hadn't stopped it."

[Kaylyn]

Either doing what you did, or waiting to let the transaction process and then reporting it, either way, you did the right thing. After all, that's YOUR money she was misusing. If nothing else, perhaps it was a wakeup call to the manager: don't be spineless when it comes to WIC. You want to let your store coupons get misused, whatever, your stupidity and your loss. But don't fuck with government programs or you'll find yourself in a world of trouble.

[blas87]

I'm glad you did the right thing.

I'm not a fan of people using my tax dollars for assistance, using them to buy nicer food and luxurious that I can't afford myself.

[FMA_Fanatic]

Hmmm... I'd say you did the *wrong* thing. Only because, had you said nothing, the transaction would have gone through. Government officials can be at least as lazy and/or disinterested as corporate, and a complaint of "Store processed a fraudulent transaction on x date at y time in lane z" is much more concrete and easy to follow up on than "Store would have committed fraud if I hadn't stopped it."

So by your logic, I should have let the store assist in letting the woman attempt to commit fraud?

Sorry, but that doesn't fly with me. You may not care where your tax dollars go, I do.

[MrsEclipse]

Hmmm... I'd say you did the *wrong* thing. Only because, had you said nothing, the transaction would have gone through. Government officials can be at least as lazy and/or disinterested as corporate, and a complaint of "Store processed a fraudulent transaction on x date at y time in lane z" is much more concrete and easy to follow up on than "Store would have committed fraud if I hadn't stopped it."

I'm willing to accept that this would also be a valid course of action, and possibly a better one, but I don't think that what the OP did was the wrong thing to do. I feel that the only truly wrong thing would be inaction.

[jackfaire]

I'm willing to accept that this would also be a valid course of action, and possibly a better one, but I don't think that what the OP did was the wrong thing to do. I feel that the only truly wrong thing would be inaction.

I don't think he was necessarily saying it was the wrong action more that the other one would be more like teaching a man to fish

[HYHYBT]

Sorry; I meant "wrong" only in the sense that another idea would have been better, not in the sense that, say, stomping on kittens is wrong.

[Panacea]

FMA Fanatic, you definitely did the right thing, and I applaud your stance

Too many people witness crap like this, say nothing, then complain about the "welfare queens" who get away with fraud.

WIC is meant to help women have healthy families. When women like this defraud the system, it takes money from the women who are following the rules. There is no infinite money tree to pay for these programs; in order for them to continue the rules have to be followed.

Well done! Follow through with your complaint . . . Please!

[AdminAssistant]

I agree with the soy sauce, bbq sauce, and ribs but...sweet potatoes aren't covered? Those are a lot better for you than regular potatoes and not terribly expensive.

[Peppergirl]

I agree with the soy sauce, bbq sauce, and ribs but...sweet potatoes aren't covered? Those are a lot better for you than regular potatoes and not terribly expensive.

True, but WIC has a very strict list and stringent guidelines as to what is and isn't approved.

There's lots of things on and off the WIC list that make no sense to me, but it is what it is. I hate to see people like this defrauding it and possibly making it more difficult for the people who actually need it and would use it properly.