Orlando man arrested for defrauding Amazon of $40,000 for intentionally returning the wrong items
The Amazon shop logo is seen in this photo illustration on 31 May, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orlando man was arrested after he allegedly fraudulently returned $40,000 worth of products he bought from Amazon, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced.
Wail Chouder, 33, of Orlando, made 27 fraudulent returns to Amazon between May 2019 and May 2022 in a scheme where he would purchase items from the retailer, request a return, then send an item different from the one he had bought.
The investigation revealed Chouder would purchase high-value products, including electronics, sporting goods, and luxury eyewear, and after receiving the merchandise he requested returns, and then sent back lesser-value substitute products in place of the original merchandise.
Some of the items Chouder purchased and fraudulently returned include:
- Garmin Xero A1i PRO Bow Sight, Left-Handed Auto-ranging Digital Sight - $1.299.99
- Oliver Peoples Rx Eyeglasses Frames - $149.95
- 2020 Macbook Pro with Apple M1 Chip - $1,434
- Chouder purchased a "Ravin R 29X Predator Crossbow Package R040" for $2,599.93 several times
- ZILLI 60032 C05 Eyeglasses - $875.00
- Brand New Microsoft Surface Book 3 - $3,399.99
- Leica Q2 Digital Camera Pro - $4,997
For each return, Chouder would receive a credit in the amount of the initial purchase to the purchasing credit card, account on file, or retailer gift card and illegally keep the high-value merchandise.
If the company Chouder purchased from refused to issue him a refund, he'd file chargeback claims with various credit card issuers by requesting the retailer to reimburse the credit card issuers for the fraudulent returns.
Chouder was taken into custody on an active FDLE arrest warrant when he appeared for a separate court hearing Thursday. He was booked into the Orange County Jail.