One man in Virginia is accused of defrauding Amazon out of more than US$300,000 by purchasing expensive goods and asking for a refund only to return an alternative product worth a fraction of the price.

Farhaad Riyaz, 34, pleaded guilty to the scheme in the Eastern District of Virginia on Monday, Dec 13, the US Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Riyaz, who is from Manassas, Virginia, faces up to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced on March 22.

Manassas is about 30 miles outside of Washington, D.C.

Riyaz could not be reached for comment and defense attorneys representing him did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.

Prosecutors said the alleged fraud lasted from 2017 to 2020. During that time, Riyaz is accused of opening numerous accounts with Amazon to buy “high-end items”.

“Riyaz would then claim the item had arrived too late or was not as described online, thereby initiating a return,” the government said. “He would send back to Amazon, via United Parcel Service, an item of materially lesser value but Amazon would refund him the full purchase price.”

In June 2019, Riyaz paid US$2,600 for an electric guitar from Amazon that prosecutors described as a “rare Fender Telecaster”. But instead of returning it after requesting a refund, the government said, he sent back a Squier Telecaster electric guitar.

Prosecutors said the Squier was the same colour but cost US$400 .

Riyaz did the same thing with a US$37,000 home theatre system when he reportedly sent one back that was worth just US$2,000 , the government said. He’s also accused of fraudulently getting “multiple US$4,400 toilets with electric bidets”.

A bidet, which is commonly used outside of the US, is a cleansing stream of warm water that shoots out of the toilet bowl.

Riyaz is not the only Amazon user accused of using returns to defraud the online retailer.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, prosecutors said Hudson Hamrick stole over US$290,000 from Amazon using expensive coffee machines and new computers. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in October and faces up to 20 years in prison and US$250,000 in fines.

 - TNS