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Scammers Stole $4M in Goods Via Fake Police Reports
17 Apr
Summary
- Scammers stole $4 million in products using fake police reports.
- A Kazakhstan-based group orchestrated the scheme via Telegram.
- Amazon is suing suspects and demanding restitution for the fraud.
Amazon has filed a lawsuit alleging a fraud ring stole $4 million in products by exploiting its refund system. The scheme, reportedly led by an individual in Kazakhstan and operated through Telegram, involved creating elaborate fake police reports to claim packages were missing. Amazon's customer service representatives were allegedly duped into authorizing refunds based on these fraudulent documents.
The group, RBK, charged customers a fee for their services, taking a percentage of the refunded amount. Amazon's internal investigators uncovered the operation after posing as potential buyers. Evidence gathered, including images and videos on RBK's Telegram channel, helped identify the alleged administrator, Dias Temirbekul Zhumaniyaz, and link him to accounts involved in the fraud.
The lawsuit names Zhumaniyaz along with U.S.-based defendants Michael Bauschelt and Adnan Islam, who are accused of using RBK's services for their own fraudulent refund claims. Amazon is seeking financial restitution and legal fees, as well as court orders to prevent the defendants from engaging in similar schemes. The RBK Telegram channel has since become unavailable.
