photo by: Lawrence Police Department

Suspected stolen merchandise, cash and fraudulent receipts were recovered off of four men on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.

An alleged retail fraud spree came to a halt Tuesday night when Lawrence police tracked down four suspects with help from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

According to a press release from the Lawrence Police Department, four alleged scammers were attempting to rob Lawrence Walmart stores after allegedly stealing from multiple other stores in the Kansas City metro area.

Officers were dispatched to Walmart at 33rd and Iowa streets at about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Four men allegedly approached multiple cashiers with separate purchases and returns with receipts. The release said some of the purchases were complete, but over time, the cashiers grew suspicious and then contacted the asset manager.

As the men left, the manager was able to get a description of the vehicle and called dispatch. The release said in total, the men left with about $4,400 worth of cash and merchandise.

The store’s asset manager told an officer he knew something was suspicious and had knowledge of similar scams. A Lawrence officer called in the Kansas Highway Patrol to go after the suspects, and they pulled them over at mile marker 217 on Interstate 70, a few miles west of Bonner Springs, at about 10:30 p.m.

Lawrence officers traveled to the scene and found suspected stolen merchandise, including more than $6,000 in cash, numerous potentially fraudulent receipts and evidence the spree spread through the Kansas City area and another Lawrence Walmart, the release said. Officers also learned that the men were in a car they rented in Michigan.

To avoid similar scams, the LPD said to look out for purchasers who use a fake card with specific instructions on the back. One of the cards in this case read, “ATTENTION: If cardholder exceeds daily limit for future transactions cashier must follow 2 step verification: SCAN ALL items, Input EXACT AMOUNT + ENTER to complete transaction.”

The purchaser then only partially slides the card into the payment device and when the cashier presses cash, the drawer opens and a receipt is printed. The cashier then believes the transaction is successful. The release said several variations of the scam likely exist.

LPD is communicating with the other police departments in the area, and the investigation continues, the release said.