From PC Mag: Erin Joseph Finan and Leah Jeanette Finan from Muncie, Indiana, have proved it is possible to steal over a million dollars worth of goods from an online retailer. But we are also about to see the consequences of carrying out such a huge fraud and getting caught.
As the BBC reports, the couple have just pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and money laundering after they managed to steal $1.2 million worth of Amazon goods.
Their process for doing so was fairly simple. Hundreds of false identities were created online, which were then used to order a range of goods from Amazon including high-value tech gadgets such as the Xbox One, GoPro cameras, and Samsung smartwatches. When each item was received, the Finan's contacted Amazon support and claimed the goods were damaged. Amazon sent out replacements free of charge.
Once the replacement goods were received, the couple sold them on to a third-party, who then sold them to a company based in New York. It took a joint investigation involving the US Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service to figure out what was going on.
The Finan's must have thought they were on to a winning strategy, but that has all changed once the authorities caught up with them.
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