When a customer came with a suspicious request, Teresa’s instincts saved the day.
Sometimes the only thing standing between a customer and a scammer is a vigilant Walmart associate — an associate like Teresa Saucedo Diaz.
Teresa is a money center customer service associate at Store 2087 in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota. When a disabled customer approached the service desk and asked for $3,000 in gift cards, Teresa was immediately suspicious.
And rightly so: A scammer had reached out to the customer, claiming there was a warrant out for their arrest and they needed to purchase gift cards to resolve it. The customer had already tried to purchase the cards at another Walmart and had been turned away. But Teresa took it one step further.
Instead of just refusing the transaction, Teresa asked questions and shared fraud prevention information.
Scam spotter
“It’s all sorts of red flags,” Teresa explains of her decision to deny the transaction. “It’s horrible and it makes me sick, it really does, to think people get taken advantage of like that. It could have been her life savings.”
Though the customer was hesitant at first — the scammer had warned her not to tell anyone why they needed the cards — Teresa helped the customer recognize that the gift card request might be a scam. As a result, the customer reached out to the local police chief, who happened to be a relative.
“I cannot tell you how grateful we are that your employees refused to sell her the cards,” wrote the chief in a thank-you letter to Walmart. “This would have been a devastating financial loss for a cancer patient on disability.”
Lending an extra hand
For her quick thinking and vigilance, Teresa received the 2024 Integrity in Action Award. The award goes to associates around the globe who choose to do the right thing, even when it might be easier or profitable for them to look the other way.
“Teresa speaks up when something doesn’t seem right and she encourages others to do the same,” says Michelle Nelson, digital coach at Store 2087.
“To me, integrity means to always do the right thing,” Teresa says. “You’ve got to do what you think is right. Some people can’t look out for themselves so they could use an extra hand.”
Congratulations to Teresa and all the associates who received the 2024 Integrity in Action Award!
- Ana Melissa Jenkins Arias, CAM (Costa Rica)
- Amanda Farrows, Canada
- Jahuel Sepulveda, Chile
- Zheng Ying, China
- Richa Jain, Flipkart
- Phozisa Mkapa, Massmart
- Business Manager, PhonePe
- Mario Antonio Francisco, Mexico
- Detrick Nelson, U.S. Supply Chain
- Mary Felder, U.S. Sam's Club
- Rinku Christopher, Walmart Sourcing
