Method to detect false purchases with a consumer service device

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a motion across a product identifier in a self-service terminal;

monitoring for a product identifier;

in response to failing to detect the product identifier, transmitting an alert signal indicating a failed transaction;

in response to detecting said product identifier, recording said product identifier on a personal shopping device;

in response to recording said product identifier on said personal shopping device, sending a product identification signal, indicating a price check, from said personal shopping device;

correlating an initiation of a purchase transaction to said product identifier; and

in response to correlating said product identifier to said initiation, transmitting a product purchased signal from said personal shopping device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a product identified signal from said personal shopping device in response to a product identification that is not correlated to a purchase transaction within a predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying suspicious activity as being a failure to correlate said product identifier to said initiation of a purchase transaction; and

logging said suspicious activity.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

in response to said alert signal and said product identified signal being repeatedly generated to create respective multiple alert signals and product identified signals, calculating a ratio of a sum of said product identified signals and said alert signals to a quantity of said product purchased signals.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising alerting a security unit when said ratio exceeds a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

identifying a pattern in a relationship between a number of said product identified signasl, a number of said failure signals, and a number of said product purchased signals; and

alerting a security unit to said pattern.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of transmitting said product purchased from said personal shopping device further comprises transmitting one of a group consisting of a first audible signal, a first color of light outside the visible spectrum from an illumination unit, a first color of visible light from said illumination unit, and a first radio-frequency signal.