ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando man is accused of defrauding a major online retailer of over $40,000 in an alleged fraudulent returns scheme.
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Wail Chouder, 33, of Orlando, has been arrested on charges of organized scheme to defraud $20,000 or more but less than $50,000 following a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation.
According to the FDLE, the investigation began in May 2022 when the Office of Statewide Prosecution contacted the FDLE Gainesville Field Office with a criminal complaint from a major online retailer. The retailer identified a customer that was reportedly engaged in fraud involving merchandise theft through a systematic pattern of return abuse.
The total loss to the business was reported to be $40,395.56 for 27 fraudulent returns between May 2019 and May 2022.
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The FDLE said the investigation revealed that Chouder’s scheme was to 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.
For his returns, Chouder received a credit in the amount of the initial purchase to the purchasing credit card, account on file, or retailer gift card, and illegally kept the high-value merchandise, the FDLE said. If the company refused a refund, Chouder reportedly filed chargeback claims with various credit card issuers by requesting the retailer to reimburse the credit card issuers for the fraudulent returns.
Chouder allegedly committed the crimes in Orange and Alachua counties.
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“Retail fraud hurts all consumers. When these greedy criminals commit fraud against a business, they also make Florida’s hard-working citizens victims, too,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass.
Chouder was taken into custody on an active FDLE arrest warrant when he appeared for a separate court hearing last week. He was booked into the Orange County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
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