A user on TikTok has gone viral after exposing a scam she encountered—twice—while shopping at Target.
In a video with over 273,000 views, TikTok user Jessica (@jessicaneistadt) says she visited Target to pick up some items. One of those items was a hair mask made by the company OUAI.
When she returned home, however, she noticed that the package didn’t feel right.
“If you guys have ever tried a hair mask, you know it’s a cream product,” she details in the clip. “Tell me why I pulled this up and it sloshed.”
Upon opening the package, Jessica discovered that someone had scooped out the product and replaced it with water.
@jessicaneistadt ugh scammers now I gotta go back to target to replace this #target #fashiontiktok ♬ Karma – Taylor Swift
While she speculates in the video that the product was opened, refilled, and returned, she notes in a follow-up that it’s possible the customer simply did this in the bathroom of the Target location
She also details that she discovered another product with the same issue upon trying to return the hair mask.
@jessicaneistadt Replying to @jessicaneistadt pt 2 on the new target scam I found #target ♬ original sound – jessicaneistadt
“I discovered another scam with the same product,” she claims. “Basically, someone had scooped out the product and replaced it with shampoo.”
“Check your products,” she concludes.
Commenters were quick to call out both Target and beauty product manufacturers for not putting a seal on their products.
“The need to start adding tamper wrapping on it like they do the vitamins and the ice cream,” wrote one user.
“Companies need to do better and start sealing all their products,” agreed another.
Other users were quick to note that this is a common scam present in many businesses.
“Worked at Sally’s and ALOT of customers would do this,” alleged a commenter.
“I had this happen with conditioner at Walmart a while back. Luckily they took it back,” recalled a second. “But now I always check before buying. I wish it was all sealed.”
“I had a similar thing happen with an expensive cream from target,” remembered a further user. “they used it all up and returned it. I bought it without knowing.”
Many viewers expressed concern that Target appeared to have put a returned beauty product back on the shelf.
“Why are they putting a used hygienic product back on the shelves.. I hope you got a refund atleast,” stated a commenter.
“Why is target putting the used returned product back on the shelf tho,” questioned an additional TikToker.
In response, Jessica says that she did get a refund and that the Target customer service worker was “super nice about it.”
Furthermore, the customer service worker assured Jessica that it was not Target’s policy to put returned products of this nature back out on the floor, meaning that someone had performed the swap in a bathroom as Jessica speculated, or it had been returned and made its way to the sales floor as a mistake.
It’s incidents like these that have led TikTokers to better understand why stores have security features in place.
As one user wrote, “Now I know why Target is locking everything up these days.”
The Daily Dot reached out to both Jessica and Target via email.
