Reimbursement fraud, which explodes during the holidays, is becoming a growing threat for large online platforms. And by extension, on the very principle of reimbursement within 15 days of online orders. Some scammers manage to extract thousands of euros every week by exploiting a loophole among the giants of the sector.
Holiday fraud is not new, but it is gradually coming to light. Some gifts purchased online may have been recovered fraudulently, by misleading the reimbursement services of major online shopping platforms.
Testimonials published this September 20 by BFM Tech&Co report that some fraudsters manage to generate up to 2,000 euros per week using this method.
What is it actually about? “Refund” or refund fraud is an illegal method which consists of purchasing a product online and then claiming a refund by claiming not to have received the item or by returning a damaged or false item.
The buyer, after receiving the package, contacts customer service to report non-receipt of the product or to obtain a refund, without respecting the return rules. Once a refund is obtained, the scammer keeps or resells the item for a profit.
This practice has now taken on an almost industrial scale, with networks organized on platforms like Telegram and TikTok, where administrators offer to manage the entire process for a commission of around 20%. A customer “orders” a product from a scammer who will end up making the order and requesting a refund for them. The end customer gets the item in exchange for the 20% commission.
A follower of this method told Numerama that he “ fully equipped with sports clothing after being reimbursed by Decathlon ».
A young person ordered by the court to repay the sum of 72,000 euros
The method has become so common that it has attracted the attention of local officials. A deputy from the presidential majority himself showed us these Telegram channels and hoped to raise awareness about this practice after possible political stability – it has still not come.
Cases of young people arrested after abusing this technique have been talked about in the media. Last November, a young man aged 19 was sentenced by the Lyon criminal court to repay the sum of 72,000 euros to Amazon, according to La Dépêche. He orchestrated online fraud by misappropriating Amazon packages worth a total of 82,000 euros. The student had used his mother’s personal information to create Amazon accounts and make purchases, then reported non-receipt of packages to obtain refunds.
Also in Brittany, the police looked into the case of several young people who appeared in luxury clothes at high school, according to the Télégramme.
What do fraudsters risk?
Remember that the penalties for the perpetrators of these frauds are severe. In France, fraud is punishable by penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 375,000 euros. In addition, the culprits are exposed to civil prosecution for the damage caused to traders.
Merchants, for their part, are starting to take measures even if some platforms are overwhelmed by the number of purchases and can no longer focus on each return.
