17-year-old finds loophole in e-commerce: Makes 24 million TL fortune

It has been determined that a 17-year-old in Shanghai manipulated the return procedure on an online shopping platform to generate large-scale illicit gains. According to allegations, the young suspect managed to receive refunds without actually sending any products by using fake shipping tracking numbers when creating product return requests in the system.

11,900 RETURN APPLICATIONS FILED

The teenager, who started with small-scale attempts, realized the system had a vulnerability and expanded his operations to establish a fraud network. Focusing particularly on cosmetic products, the individual carried out a total of approximately 11,900 fake return applications. Although none of these products were returned, the money was refunded; the products were then sold off on second-hand sales applications.

EARNED 24 MILLION TL

The teenager, who obtained products worth approximately 680 thousand dollars through this method, generated earnings of approximately 570 thousand dollars—or 24 million TL at current exchange rates—as a result of selling the items. It was reported that the suspect, who used the income for personal expenses such as mobile phones, luxury clothing, and electronic games, also spent large amounts of money on those around him.

Following the detection of the fraudulent activity, the teenager was taken into custody by authorities and legal proceedings were initiated. Taking into account that the defendant was a minor at the time the crime was committed, the court sentenced him to 6 years in prison.

The incident once again demonstrated that cybersecurity measures in the e-commerce sector are becoming increasingly vital.

News Source: 12punto