A 17-year-old from Shanghai has been sentenced to six years in prison for exploiting a flaw in a refund system to claim money without returning goods.
Last year, the teenager discovered a vulnerability on an e-commerce platform that allowed him to list fake courier numbers on return requests, enabling him to receive refunds without sending back the products. The scheme involved primarily makeup items.
Over several months, he submitted 11,900 fraudulent refund requests and later sold the items on second-hand marketplaces. Authorities reported that he received goods worth $680,000 and earned $574,000 in profit, all while still obtaining full refunds from the platform.
Before his arrest, the teenager reportedly spent the money on expensive phones, clothing, video games, and treating friends.
Local media noted that, due to his age, the teen received a comparatively lighter sentence of six years.
