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Amazon has filed a lawsuit against suspected refund fraudsters, with losses estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Other lawsuits expose various ways fraudsters abuse refund systems.
One notable story is from the news network CNBC. It details the case of an Amazon employee who made $3,500 for marking returned customer orders as returned in the company’s internal system, even though the packages were never actually returned to the company.
Fraud groups operate as organised businesses offering refund services through false notifications. Common claims are that the package never arrived or that the customer received empty packaging.
“Refund scams, where a customer fraudulently tricks a retailer into returning money for a purchase without physically returning the goods, have become so widespread that groups now sell their services on Reddit, TikTok and Telegram. Typing ‘refund method’ or ‘r3fund’ on TikTok to bypass content moderators brings up videos of users showing off piles of cash, trainers and iPhones,” the report said.
Source: Depositphotos
Amounts of theft and fraud on the rise
Amazon’s losses run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The company has already filed a lawsuit against those suspected of refund fraud.
Retailers lost more than $101 billion to refund fraud last year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail.
Putting fraud, lies and falsehoods in your ad
The problem is not just returns fraud, but also the proliferation of fake orders. According to a recent study by the OECD in collaboration with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the trade in counterfeit goods can have fatal consequences, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.
On Facebook, TikTok, Discord and Reddit, a wave of social media influencers are making money promoting illegal knock-offs imported from China. Counterfeit products are often sold by children, it’s no secret.
Returns mean big losses for e-shops. They are an unfortunate combination of environmental and economic burden. Some countries are planning to limit returns.
