Maine lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it a Class C felony to use fake receipts or swap UPC codes.

Sponsored by Scarborough state Sen. Amy Volk, the bill is an attempt to address a unique fraud scam that she says is costing Maine businesses millions each year. Volk explained how the crime is committed.

"So they'll counterfeit a UPC code, they'll slip a sticker over the original UPC code, go to the register, it'll ring up as a similar, but much lower priced, item," Volk said. "And then they'll take that item and they'll either sell it or they'll remove the temporary sticker that they put on and bring it back to the store with a counterfeit receipt.  They'll return it and they'll get a much larger sum in return."

The Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is awaiting further information from the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee before they resume working on the bill.

http://news.mpbn.net/post/maine-bill-targets-costly-retail-fraud-scam