Napa Auto Parts Employee Arrested for Massive 'Refund Fraud Scheme.' What Do Cops Say She Did?

A bodycam-based TikTok channel posted a video this month showing a Napa Auto Parts employee being arrested after allegedly running an elaborate refund fraud scheme that cost her employer over $2,100.

Police bodycam footage showing her arrest reveals details of how the scam allegedly worked and the moment she was taken into custody.

TikTok user police.release113 (@police.release113) shared the three-part video series showing the investigation and arrest, which has been viewed 2,163 times since being posted on Oct. 8. The channel posts what appear to be police bodycam videos, which citizens can often obtain through public records requests.

The footage shows a Napa Auto Parts store where an employee allegedly used the point-of-sale system to create fake returns, then refunded the money to her own personal credit card instead of to customers.

How the Alleged Scheme Worked

According to the store owner's explanation to police in the first video, the employee would select items from the store and scan them as if they were being returned by a customer. However, no actual customers were present for these transactions.

"She's basically scanning items and then taking her phone and tapping and doing the refund to her, to her card," the owner told the investigating officer. "On items that she hasn't purchased and really haven't been returned, she's doing the return."

The owner explained that there weren't even customers present during these fraudulent transactions. "There's not even people there. She's just picking an item in the store and then returning it," he said.

Police were reportedly able to connect the fraudulent refunds to the employee's personal Visa card by matching the last four digits of the card used in the refund transactions to the same card she used for legitimate personal purchases at the store.

While the owner claimed he had captured approximately $200 worth of fraudulent activity on camera, he said he was able to tie her credit card to more. "I can tie her credit card to about $2,100 fraudulent returns," he told the officer.

The Investigation and Arrest

The second video shows the police officer reading the employee her Miranda rights before questioning her in an office inside the store. Initially, she claimed the only time she had done such refunds was when helping an individual named Joe Wagner with a return and repurchase of a hitch.

However, when confronted with evidence that the fraudulent activity had been ongoing from November of the previous year through March, she admitted to the scheme.

"Have you been doing this from November to March?" the officer asked. "Yes, sir," she replied.

When asked why she was refunding money to her own account, she claimed, "No, sir, it was parts that were purchased and never picked up most of them." The officer clarified that she had decided on her own to refund those items to her personal account, to which she responded "yes" and apologized.

The Consequence

The third video shows the immediate aftermath, with the store owner terminating the employee and trespassing her from the property. "So all I need to say is of course you're going to be terminated today. I need your keys," the owner told her.

The police officer explained the severity of the charges she was facing. "So technically right now you did commit a fraud and deprived the merchant with stuff,” he said. “So you basically committed a felony. You will be arrested. You will be going to jail."

The video ends with the employee making a phone call asking someone to come get her, saying, "I'm being arrested. Just please come get me."

Understanding Employee Refund Fraud

This type of scheme is known as a "false refund" or "register disbursement" fraud, one of the most common forms of occupational fraud according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Employees process fake refunds through the point-of-sale system and divert the money to their own accounts rather than to legitimate customers.

Red flags for retailers include excessive refund transactions tied to one employee, refunds issued outside business hours, multiple refunds going to the same card, and missing merchandise that doesn't match inventory counts.

This type of employee theft is a serious crime in most jurisdictions. Under California law, for example, employee theft over $950 in a 12-month period is classified as grand theft, a felony charge.

Viewer Reactions

The footage sparked reactions from TikTok users, with many expressing disbelief at the employee's actions.

"Do people actually think they aren't going to get caught," wrote TimeForAChange 2023 on the second video.

User lisacook373 commented on the final arrest video, “Not worth it."

The videos show how modern point-of-sale systems, while convenient, can be vulnerable to internal fraud when proper oversight and controls aren't in place. It also demonstrates how surveillance footage and digital transaction records make it more and more difficult for employees to get away with these schemes.

Motor1 reached out to police.release113 via TikTok direct message for comment. We'll be sure to update this if they respond.