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Video Game Scam: Buy, repackage, return, sell = money

xsynergyx | April 26, 2008 | News | Misc 
Frank Buchanan, 30, has 192 purchases on two of his credit cards and 183 of those purchases were returned. This came to $23,178 in refunds. The majority of these purchases were video games which were returned to the stores for a refund. It sparked interest and was looked into, following a purchase-return scam. Buchanan bought video games, took out the disc, replaced it with a blank replica and then sold the 477 games he sold on eBay for a estimated $19,562. He used Target, Wal-Mart, ShopKo and Kmart stores for his scam and is now charged with three counts of felony. U.S. Postal Service searched his home and found 41 items related to the scam, including a heat-sealing packager and sealed and unsealed video games with purchase receipts attached to each game. Buchanan expects to appear in court of June 9th.
One count alleges Buchanan got about $12,373 worth of credit through his scheme from Dec. 1, 2006, to May 31, 2007; another is for about $6,836 in credit from June 1, 2006, to Nov. 30, 2007; and the last is for about $3,969 in credit from Dec. 1, 2007, to Feb. 28, 2008.
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  • 0 thumbs!
    kik36 | April 27, 2008
    WHOA!!!! I'm more shocked at the money that was flowing rather than the scam itself.....
  • 0 thumbs!
    Silver Mirror | April 27, 2008
    Damn bloody glitch, ignore this comment
    • 0 thumbs!
      Silver Mirror | April 27, 2008
      This gives me a idea, not that I would ever sink to that level, no of course not
  • 0 thumbs!
    Dine_Agoti | April 27, 2008
    Making such an effort, you think he'd just get a (second) job or something, haha.
    • 1 thumbs!
      Linkin Park Fan | April 27, 2008
      You can do that, then have this as your hobby
  • -1 thumbs!
    Kazooieman | April 27, 2008
    That's actually a nice scam. If only I had a lot of money to buy the games and blank cd's!
  • 0 thumbs!
    DJ Taka | April 27, 2008
    A bit old of a trick, people used to do that for personal use back in the 90's but with CD copying instead.

    (Buy, copy, copy cd-key if any, repack, heat shrink & return) Yet for some stores you didn't even need to seal it again.

    Exploiting like that makes you an easy target for sure, I mean why didn't he just put an invite in the package telling them they can buy the game on ebay from him if they wanted the disc back.
  • 0 thumbs!
    InnerDemon | April 27, 2008
    That guy would have been rich if they never found out. Quite the scam artist that's for sure. =3
  • 0 thumbs!
    tidus04 | April 27, 2008
    A pretty nifty idea though it is good to see that he was eventually caught
  • 0 thumbs!
    Final Blade | April 27, 2008
    Great theory and scam, but failed at it. Now clever people like me can do this and get away with it......
  • 0 thumbs!
    Jeterocks | April 27, 2008
    Thats kinda how I got my 2nd Dualshock 3 controller. Bought one from Wal*Mart, got home, carefully opened it, took out the DS3, put my old Sixaxis back inside, returned the Sixaxis in the DS3 box and traded it in for another Dualshock 3. Was pretty easy too.
    • 2 thumbs!
      Ameer | April 28, 2008
      So you did do it. Fail Jete.
  • 2 thumbs!
    BANDITO ATTACK | April 27, 2008
    he took it to a new level.. but then he took it too far. he shouldn't have went totally apeshit trying to get away with nearly 500 games. what a jackass.
  • 0 thumbs!
    slumpy monkey | April 27, 2008
    I would have stopped at 10 grand
  • -1 thumbs!
    Rusty Bucket Boy | April 28, 2008
    Money needs to be earned, not scammed. Remember this, kiddies.

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