A significant fraudulent returns operation, targeting high-value items like iPhones, has been unveiled through a joint effort by Bengaluru Police and Amazon personnel. This operation has resulted in the arrest of an individual in northern Bengaluru. As a result of the investigation, devices valued at Rs 20.34 lakh have been seized, and Rs 30 lakh in bank accounts associated with the suspect have been frozen.
Summary :
- Amazon Unearths Elaborate Scam: Bengaluru police, in collaboration with Amazon, expose a complex fake return scheme involving iPhones and MacBooks, with a former employee at the helm.
- Fraudulent Returns Manipulated: Former Amazon employee orchestrates a swindle where high-value devices like iPhones are falsely marked as returned, leading to spurious refunds, while a key associate aids in cryptocurrency profiteering.
- Seizures and Arrest: Authorities seize devices worth Rs 20.34 lakh, including iPhones and MacBooks, and freeze Rs 30 lakh in bank accounts linked to the suspect, while Chirag Gupta, the individual implicated in the scam, is arrested.
Bengaluru police, in collaboration with Amazon personnel, have cracked open a significant fraudulent returns racket involving high-value devices like iPhones. An individual has been apprehended in North Bengaluru as part of the ongoing investigation, according to Indian Express. The swindle came to light after Amazon Transportation Services Private Limited observed substantial losses due to spurious refunds for pricey items purportedly returned by customers.
An internal probe by Amazon unraveled that Chirag Gupta, using credit cards and UPI, bought four Apple iPhones between May 15 and 17. The devices were shipped to his address but were falsely marked as returned and refunded through the online customer app, despite never reaching Amazon. A company representative’s visit to Gupta’s home raised suspicions, revealing that the iPhones were untouched. Gupta confessed to acting on behalf of a friend from Madhya Pradesh who devised a scheme to secure refunds while retaining the purchased goods.
The elaborate scheme was orchestrated by a former Amazon employee. Law enforcement seized devices worth Rs 20.34 lakh, including iPhones and MacBooks, and froze Rs 30 lakh in associated bank accounts. Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivaprakash Devaraju elucidated that the fraud was exposed through the pattern of purchasing from a consistent address without actual returns.
Further investigations divulged that Gupta received a commission for procuring costly items on Amazon. The scheme’s mastermind, connected via Telegram, capitalized on the acquired illicit devices to reap cryptocurrency profits. Gupta pocketed a percentage of these gains as commission.
The mastermind, leveraging insider knowledge, manipulated product return data on the company’s website. Although return requests were initiated, product payments remained unprocessed, and the items never made their way back.
Bengaluru Police issued an official statement, stating, “Devices worth Rs 20.34 lakh, including 16 iPhones, two Macbooks, AirPods, a Vivo phone, a desktop computer, a gaming laptop, and Rs 2.5 lakh cash were seized based on the detainee’s testimony and Amazon’s data.” Additionally, Rs 30 lakh across various linked bank accounts were frozen.