Two men from Rajasthan have been arrested for defrauding Amazon of around Rs 1.29 crore. The accused, Raj Kumar Meena (23 year old) and Subhash Gurjar (27 year old) have allegedly carried out similar scams in the past as they have several cases registered against them in various states like Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Scam Explained
The pair devised a unique scheme to defraud Amazon by ordering costly electronics along with inexpensive items using fake identities across various states. When the orders arrived, one would divert the delivery person’s attention while the other swapped the labels, attaching the label from the high-priced item to the low-cost product.
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They would then deliberately enter a wrong OTP, sending the delivery agent back with the promise of collecting the order the next day—only to cancel it later. After securing the valuable products, they would resell them and dispose of their SIM cards, according to a report by the Indian Express.
On September 21, the duo travelled to Mangaluru, where they ordered two high-end Sony cameras and ten other low-cost items under a false name, “Amrith,” for delivery near the KSRTC bus stand. When the delivery arrived, Meena provided the OTP for the low-value items, while Gurjar diverted the delivery agent’s attention, allowing them to switch the labels of the expensive cameras with those of the cheaper products.
Meena then deliberately entered an incorrect OTP, stalling the confirmation and telling the delivery agent they would finalize the order the next day. Shortly after, they cancelled the camera order, which raised red flags. Mahindra Logistics, Amazon’s delivery partner, uncovered the label swap and alerted Amazon to the suspicious activity.
How Were They Caught
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal stated that an investigation began following the registration of a case at the Urwa police station. Agarwal told the New Indian Express, “The accused were initially identified by understanding their pattern of ordering through Amazon.”
Police identified the suspects through CCTV footage captured at the delivery location. Just as the two were preparing to leave the city, authorities apprehended them at the airport. Officers recovered Rs 11.45 lakh in cash, which the suspects had obtained from selling the stolen cameras.
