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Amazon allegedly scammed out of $370K by 22-year-old's return shipments of dirt

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Jan 12, 2014
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Amazon allegedly scammed out of $370K by 22-year-old's return shipments of dirt

(FOX 2) - A 22-year-old has been arrested in an alleged scam of the largest internet retailer that totaled nearly $370,000 by sending return packages filled with dirt.

James Gilbert Kwarteng, of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, allegedly swindled Amazon by filling up the ordered items' boxes with dirt and registering with the exact weight of the product. He would then receive a refund from Amazon and sell the original item,


http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/us-and- ... ts-of-dirt
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Oct 13, 2007
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Fake news is becoming so obvious:
That plot was broken up by the Postal Service who said they had soled 2,700 items
and link is filled with ads.

"Allegedly"?
Sr. Member
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Dec 7, 2012
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When Amazon gets returned packages, there isn't someone that actually opens it up to make sure you sent back what you were supposed to - it's just scanned, weighed, and put on the shelf. Then you rmoney is returned.
Sounds like bs. Don't know about Spain but in NA the first thing that happens to a return is it gets a LPN tracking sticker slapped on it even if it's returned in new sealed condition.
He would have been caught after the first couple returns when other customers report the filler.
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
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EliteJay wrote: Sounds like bs.
That's what I was thinking.

Once? Sure.
Twice? Probably.
Five? Could be.
$370k worth? No way.
Do you not have anything else to do rather than argue with strangers on the internet
Nope. That's why I'm on the internet arguing with strangers. If I had anything better to do I'd probably be doing it.
Deal Expert
Jun 30, 2006
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Fake news. Amazon opens up and inspects the item. Doesn't just throw the box and say hey it weights the same ok fine.
Deal Addict
Jun 18, 2018
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carmaster wrote: Fake news. Amazon opens up and inspects the item. Doesn't just throw the box and say hey it weights the same ok fine.
I was about to say... lol
Sr. Member
Dec 15, 2015
706 posts
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Toronto
carmaster wrote: Fake news. Amazon opens up and inspects the item. Doesn't just throw the box and say hey it weights the same ok fine.
Amazon does not open and inspect every item. They are leaving out key details for a reason. If the item still has the seal on it, they look at it and move it along. Only if the items is opened or damaged will it go to get graded.

Similar thing was happening at Future Shop just before they closed. People were buying IPads, filling them with rocks, dirt, ext, re heat shrinking them and returning them.
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
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TheMaterial wrote: Amazon does not open and inspect every item.
Even if they didn't inspect every item, $370k is a BUTTLOAD of stuff to return.
Amazon would have killed that account at like $37k worth of returns unless that account has a million bucks worth of purchases.
Do you not have anything else to do rather than argue with strangers on the internet
Nope. That's why I'm on the internet arguing with strangers. If I had anything better to do I'd probably be doing it.
Sr. Member
Dec 15, 2015
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death_hawk wrote: Even if they didn't inspect every item, $370k is a BUTTLOAD of stuff to return.
Amazon would have killed that account at like $37k worth of returns unless that account has a million bucks worth of purchases.
Who said it was one account? They don't cross verify information. If so I wouldn't be able to purchase anything..

And there are power users, because you read a story of some dude buy and returning and getting banned doesn't everyone does. I'd love to show you my work account, we have thousands in purchases and returns, never once had a problem.
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Aug 22, 2006
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TheMaterial wrote: Who said it was one account? They don't cross verify information. If so I wouldn't be able to purchase anything..
Amazon is apparently pretty good at catching multiple accounts.
Even if they didn't catch it and banned as they went, $370k is quite a huge number in terms of the amount of merchandise.
Using something that you could easily fence like a computer (let's say $3000) that's 120 computers.
You're gonna get away with it once or twice (let's say 3 times) before you get banned.
That's at minimum 40 accounts with 40 different payment methods (or a lot of gift card buying) along with 40 different addresses.
I'd love to show you my work account, we have thousands in purchases and returns, never once had a problem.
Does it have $370k worth of returns?
Do you not have anything else to do rather than argue with strangers on the internet
Nope. That's why I'm on the internet arguing with strangers. If I had anything better to do I'd probably be doing it.
Sr. Member
Dec 15, 2015
706 posts
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Toronto
death_hawk wrote: Amazon is apparently pretty good at catching multiple accounts.
Even if they didn't catch it and banned as they went, $370k is quite a huge number in terms of the amount of merchandise.
Using something that you could easily fence like a computer (let's say $3000) that's 120 computers.
You're gonna get away with it once or twice (let's say 3 times) before you get banned.
That's at minimum 40 accounts with 40 different payment methods (or a lot of gift card buying) along with 40 different addresses.


Does it have $370k worth of returns?
You do realize there are a lot people making a living scamming amazon like this guy (most are a little more sophisticated) . You obviously are a little jaded. 40/40 isn't nothing compared to what some guys are doing. Amazon is good at catching amateurs with multiple accounts. Hop into the fun world of the internet and you can see this isn't a one off occurrence lol

Google the Finans and see its been done for years and takes a while for amazon to catch up to you...

And nope, but we have a lot. I think the account I manage is about 20k in returns.
Member
Jul 20, 2017
284 posts
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carmaster wrote: Fake news. Amazon opens up and inspects the item. Doesn't just throw the box and say hey it weights the same ok fine.
I don't know, a part of me believes it. Amazon probably gets a lot of returns and returned products are usually a loss for the company as most of the time they are auctioned off.
I do think it's strange how they let $370k get by, but I actually do believe they just weigh the packages. TBH, I wouldn't be shocked if they just scan the tracking numbers and don't bother weight it at all.

One time I made a return to Nike which obviously gets a lot of returns.
When I shipped my items back using the label they gave me, 15 minutes later, I had a refund from them.
Here to buy stuff I don't need
Deal Expert
Oct 27, 2003
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carmaster wrote: Fake news. Amazon opens up and inspects the item. Doesn't just throw the box and say hey it weights the same ok fine.
+1 Yes. I don't believe the story in the OP.
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Jun 1, 2006
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TheMaterial wrote: Similar thing was happening at Future Shop just before they closed. People were buying IPads, filling them with rocks, dirt, ext, re heat shrinking them and returning them.
"People" ?
I swear to drunk I'm not God 😝
Banned
Nov 21, 2009
2465 posts
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That wasn't happening as often as you think.

I worked for Future Shop for 6 years and 1 time out of the period I worked there, someone returned a PS4 with just paper and small bricks.

Never seen anything but that

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