Replacing a Product With a Broken Item and Fraudulently Returning It
My question involves criminal law for the state of: South Carolina, and Massachusetts
Hello everyone thanks for the responses in advance,
Recently my iPad died on me, instead of fixing or purchasing another I decided to purchase a new one from walmart and switch it out and return.
I understand that this is considered fraud and am willing to accept the consequences should I be caught.
Regardless, I didn't put my own personal iPad in the box. Rather I placed one that was broken which I purchased from craigslist. I purchased the brand new ipad from a walmart branch in South Carolina, and returned it near my hometown in Massachusetts. The broken craigslist iPad was purchased in South Carolina. I purchased an ipad from craigslist because I knew the serial number could not be tracked back to me.
I used cash, can the Walmart branch track me in any capacity? I also was sure to park far away from the walmart in adjacent parking lots (to avoid surveillance tracking of my plates) for both visits to the walmarts in the two different states.
If caught which state would I be prosecuted in, South Carolina or Massachusetts? Also how are the laws different in regard to theft? The ipad's total price was $600.
Would loss prevention, at walmart, in Massachusetts communicate with loss prevention in South Carolina? The only footprint I willingly left was the surveillance video of myself purchasing the ipad (in South Carolina) and returning it (Massachusetts). I do not intend to return to either walmart branches for over the next 1 year at the very least. Especially the one in Massachusetts.
The statute of limitations for this is the same in both states correct (1 year)?
Thank you in advance again for reading this huge story,
Once again I appreciate all the help in regard to legal consequences, any comments saying i'm a thief or scum will do little to me.
Cheers!
Re: Return Fraud/ Switch Fraud at Walmart
We don't help thieves and scum here so go peddle your problems someplace else.
Re: Replacing a Product With a Broken Item and Fraudulently Returning It
Quote:
Quoting
gucci1017
Regardless, I didn't put my own personal iPad in the box. Rather I placed one that was broken which I purchased from craigslist. I purchased the brand new ipad from a walmart branch in South Carolina, and returned it near my hometown in Massachusetts. The broken craigslist iPad was purchased in South Carolina. I purchased an ipad from craigslist because I knew the serial number could not be tracked back to me.
You spent a lot of time plotting and scheming before you committed your crime.
Quote:
Quoting gucci1017
I used cash, can the Walmart branch track me in any capacity?
Every iPad is uniquely trackable, and as you are presumably using the iPad that you stole that raises the very real possibility that you will be tracked through your use of the stolen iPad. For the crime of return fraud, you would be prosecuted in the state in which you committed the fraudulent return.
Re: Replacing a Product With a Broken Item and Fraudulently Returning It
Quote:
Quoting
Mr. Knowitall
You spent a lot of time plotting and scheming before you committed your crime.
Every iPad is uniquely trackable, and as you are presumably using the iPad that you stole that raises the very real possibility that you will be tracked through your use of the stolen iPad. For the crime of return fraud, you would be prosecuted in the state in which you committed the fraudulent return.
That would work if he exchanged the craig's list iPad for the new one. However, it did not work that way. He legitimately bought the iPad he is using. His crime was returning a broken one he bought on Craig's list, at a totally different Walmart, in a different state. They may very well be able to track him, but it won't be by the iPad he bought unless the box somehow carried the specific serial number of the iPad he purchased.
Re: Replacing a Product With a Broken Item and Fraudulently Returning It
He fraudulently returned the broken iPad in the packaging for the purchased iPad. Even with a cash receipt, that ties the two purchases together. And yes, the packaging includes the serial number.
Re: Replacing a Product With a Broken Item and Fraudulently Returning It
Quote:
Quoting
Mr. Knowitall
He fraudulently returned the broken iPad in the packaging for the purchased iPad. Even with a cash receipt, that ties the two purchases together. And yes, the packaging includes the serial number.
Does it? I honestly cannot recall what I have seen on electronics boxes at Walmart, although I just looked at the box for my At&t HTC phone and it certainly does have the serial number on the box itself. However it was not purchased from Walmart, of course.
Re: Replacing a Product With a Broken Item and Fraudulently Returning It
Re: Replacing a Product With a Broken Item and Fraudulently Returning It
Quote:
Quoting
llworking
That would work if he exchanged the craig's list iPad for the new one. However, it did not work that way. He legitimately bought the iPad he is using. His crime was returning a broken one he bought on Craig's list, at a totally different Walmart, in a different state. They may very well be able to track him, but it won't be by the iPad he bought unless the box somehow carried the specific serial number of the iPad he purchased.
All iPad boxes have the serial number of the iPad on the bottom as a barcode. I can't vouch for Walmart, but many stores will scan the serial number when selling the item as well.
Re: Return Fraud/ Switch Fraud at Walmart
Quote:
Quoting
adjusterjack
We don't help thieves and scum here so go peddle your problems someplace else.
If you're going to try and insult me at least be original. You merely reiterated what I said in the original post.
Quote:
Quoting
Mr. Knowitall
You spent a lot of time plotting and scheming before you committed your crime.
Every iPad is uniquely trackable, and as you are presumably using the iPad that you stole that raises the very real possibility that you will be tracked through your use of the stolen iPad. For the crime of return fraud, you would be prosecuted in the state in which you committed the fraudulent return.
If I'm going to commit this crime the least I can do is make it difficult for walmart to track me. If caught then they earned the right to prosecute me and I accept those consequences.
The new ipad that I got from walmart has not been turned on yet or registered, I will not turn it on for a good 6 to 8 months from now. I might even wait a year depending on the statute of limitations for this misdemeanor.
Quote:
Quoting
llworking
Does it? I honestly cannot recall what I have seen on electronics boxes at Walmart, although I just looked at the box for my At&t HTC phone and it certainly does have the serial number on the box itself. However it was not purchased from Walmart, of course.
The box does have the serial number on it. My main question is how likely is it that walmart will try and pursue me. Are their any holes in the plan, I for one think I executed it well. Could have maybe parked farther at the Walmart in South Carolina.
For those that think that this is awful and I am a terrible person: I understand, I do not do this all the time. Nor would I continue doing this, upon returning I told the customer service agent that the ipad isn't functioning properly so they won't put it back on the shelf and sell it to someone else.
I simply do not like walmart as a corporation, I rarely ever go there so returning to either branch in South Carolina and Massachusetts shouldn't be an issue.
Re: Return Fraud/ Switch Fraud at Walmart
Well aren't you just a clever little sociopath. This is not the "how do I break the law and get away with it" forum. It matters now how much you like WalMart as a corporation.