This Rajasthani Duo Scammed Amazon of Rs 1.29 Crore, Here's How They Did It

Two men from Rajasthan have been arrested for defrauding Amazon of around Rs 1.29 crore. The suspects, Raj Kumar Meena (23 years old) and Subhash Gurjar (27 years old) have allegedly committed similar scams in the past as several cases have been registered against them in different 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 expensive electronics and cheap items in several states using fake identities. When the orders arrived, one person diverted the delivery person’s attention while the other switched the labels and attached the label from the expensive item to the cheap product.

They then deliberately entered a wrong OTP and sent the delivery person back promising to pick up the order the next day, only to later cancel it. After securing the valuable products, they would resell them and throw away their SIM cards, according to a report by the Indian Express.

On September 21, the duo traveled to Mangaluru where they ordered two high-end Sony cameras and 10 other cheap items under the fake name “Amrith”, for delivery near the KSRTC bus stand. When the delivery arrived, Meena took care of the OTP for the low-value items, while Gurjar diverted the delivery person’s attention, allowing him to switch the labels of the expensive cameras with those of the cheaper products.

Meena then deliberately entered an incorrect OTP, delaying confirmation and telling the delivery person that they would complete the order the next day. Shortly after, they canceled the camera order, which raised red flags. Mahindra Logistics, Amazon’s delivery partner, discovered the label switch and alerted Amazon to the suspicious activity.

How did they get caught?

Mangaluru city police commissioner Anupam Agarwal said an investigation began after the registration of a case at Urwa police station. Agarwal told the New Indian Express: “The suspects were initially identified by understanding their ordering pattern through Amazon.”

The police identified the suspects through CCTV footage taken at the delivery location. Just as the two were preparing to leave the city, authorities stopped them at the airport. Officers recovered Rs 11.45 lakh in cash, which the suspects had obtained through the sale of the stolen cameras.