Coles goes hi-tech on Gold Coast to stop their staff stealing your flybuy points

COLES has introduced hi-tech security surveillance and tracking software to crack down on staff rorting flybuys points for cash.

Sales assistant Louise Pfeiffer serving customers at Coles supermarket, Grote Street. checkout /Shops

COLES has introduced hi-tech security surveillance and tracking software to crack down on staff rorting flybuys points for cash.

The new system will red-flag an employee who is racking up too many points, with check-out operators reportedly scanning their own cards when a customer says they do not have one.

SCHOOLIES TRAWL CRAIGSLIST FOR HOOK-UPS
Some staff have been able to earn themselves hundreds of dollars as 2000 flybuys points equates to $10. Several Gold Coast employees have been sacked after being caught out on the new video surveillance, which can remotely zone in on a check-out and monitor staff for any wrongdoing.

One operator even went to great lengths to get points, sticking the barcode to the palm of his hand so security could not pick up what he was doing.

Coles yesterday said it took action against employees if required when it came to fraud matters.

With an average check-out shift getting through $10,000 worth of groceries, thousands of points can be collected and redeemed.

At Coles, customers earn one point for every $1 spent.

“You can imagine if every second customer said, ‘I don’t have flybuys’ it adds up pretty quickly in a shift,” said a source.

“The new system monitors everything and keeps track of any irregularities in flybuys.

“It can access any store’s cameras and tills remotely from one computer, looking at anything.”

Staff said the scanning had become a problem, with some cases worse than others.

“With some of the young kids it’s probably also an ignorance thing, thinking they’re just getting points or their mum gets them to do it for them, not realising they’re doing anything wrong,” they said.

The new system also has the capacity to track customers through recognition software, highlighting certain features of a person so they can be monitored around the store.

It can highlight parts of stores that need to be looked at, scanning all surveillance data to search for customers who were in the area that is being monitored. For example, the system can zone in on a particular part of a meat cabinet where meat theft is high.

Customers have also been rorting the flybuys system, photocopying barcodes to be shared among friends to gain extra points.

A spokeswoman for Coles said employees scamming points was not a “big issue”.

“Coles uses a number of fraud detection systems across our business, including our loyalty program, and takes action if it is required,” she said.

Originally published as Coles goes hi-tech on Gold Coast to stop their staff stealing your flybuy points