The actual quote from the mashable article was:
>When her husband tried to buy $500 worth of Amazon gift cards with cash in order to get a stroller, a notice at the Rite Aid counter said the company had a legal obligation to report excessive transactions to the authorities.
So in reality, they made a big stink about the fact that they noticed that Rite Aid practices safe KYC laws and would report suspicious money-laundering activities to the government. As they must. Lest they expose themselves to money laundering charges as well.
That isn't to say that the clerk who sold them the $500 gift cards immediately picked up the phone as they were walking out the door and called the cops... that just means that if they notice you regularly buying $10,000+ worth of gift cards with cash only AND they just don't like the look of you in general, that they may pick up the phone and call the police.