Walmart shopper accused of using TikTok hack to steal thousands of dollars

Law enforcement is searching for a Georgia man accused of using a ‘hack’ he discovered on TikTok to steal “thousands of dollars” from Walmarts in three separate cities.

TikTok is known for getting trends to spread like wildfire — but not all of these crazes are positive.

In fact, one of these so-called ‘hacks’ cost major American retailer Walmart “millions of dollars” before it finally got fixed… but one man is on the lamb after reportedly getting caught using it.

The hack in question allowed customers to get cash back on certain kinds of purchases, putting a huge dent in the company’s pocketbook.

As told by TikToker B Hayes, it seems thieves managed to fool the machines into thinking they’d already paid for their items when they actually hadn’t, allowing them to get “double the money back” on their purchase.

Det. Sgt. Nathan McNamara says the suspect canceled his transaction “about halfway through,” tricking the POS machine to give him “double his money back.”

Now, Georgia police are searching for a male suspect accused of using this same hack to steal “thousands” from Walmarts in Newnan, Peachtree City and Fayetteville.

Surveillance video supposedly shows the suspect, a man in his 20s – 30s, using the self-checkout machine to get some extra funds.

However, he isn’t the only one they’ve supposedly seen using the hack. Reports from Fox 5 say that other thieves were also seen doing the exact same thing — and they’re asking for help finding him, urging anyone with information to phone the Newnan Police Department.

This is far from the first illegal ‘hack’ that’s been popularized on TikTok. In late 2023, the Flipper Zero hacking device went viral on the video-sharing app, which can wirelessly tap into numerous kinds of technology.

From messing with Teslas to disrupting Apple devices and more, the Flipper Zero is capable of wreaking major havoc on unsuspecting folks, prompting multiple outlets and creators to warn others of the Zero and how to protect themselves.

Some TikTok hacks even have a reputation for annoying service workers and businesses, with Waffle House workers refusing to serve customers using these tricks to order things that weren’t actually on their menu.