3 ms·

Just a thought, could this be engineered to work in one’s favour? For example, order a box of something expensive, receive it, attach a barcode for something ch

Just a thought, could this be engineered to work in one’s favour? For example, order a box of something expensive, receive it, attach a barcode for something cheap which is low in stock / rarely ordered, then send it back. Now order the thing you labelled it as, and see what turns up. Perhaps you’ll get a box of Epyc CPUs for the price of a box of out of season kwanza decorations.

nneonneo 7y ago
That sounds like mail fraud - and you could get prosecuted by the feds for that. Not something I recommend trying, especially in the US.
- gumby 7y ago
  If you don’t use USPS (use say fedex) can you still be prosecuted under those statutes? I though the USPS jealously guards whatever remaining prerogatives they retain. It’s still regular old fraud, and still wrong and you deserve to get trouble for it. Just curious about who will finger your collar.
  - nneonneo 7y ago
    The statute on mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1341 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1341) clearly states: > places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service, or deposits or causes to be deposited any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by any private or commercial interstate carrier (Emphasis mine). It is clear from this that committing fraud via FedEx and UPS would be treated the same as USPS. The one difference, AIUI, is that the USPS is protected by the US Postal Inspection Service (who are, as you say, quite zealous), whereas I’m not sure the same extends to UPS/FedEx (where you’d probably be looking at an FBI investigation instead). However if you (or Amazon) mailed e.g. the return labels over USPS the USPIS could still get involved.
    - gumby 7y ago
      Thanks.
userbinator 7y ago
I think you would have to be on the supplier side, no doubt they have more checks in place for returned items than ones coming from suppliers.

nneonneo 7y ago

That sounds like mail fraud - and you could get prosecuted by the feds for that. Not something I recommend trying, especially in the US.

gumby 7y ago
If you don’t use USPS (use say fedex) can you still be prosecuted under those statutes? I though the USPS jealously guards whatever remaining prerogatives they retain. It’s still regular old fraud, and still wrong and you deserve to get trouble for it. Just curious about who will finger your collar.
- nneonneo 7y ago
  The statute on mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1341 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1341) clearly states: > places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service, or deposits or causes to be deposited any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by any private or commercial interstate carrier (Emphasis mine). It is clear from this that committing fraud via FedEx and UPS would be treated the same as USPS. The one difference, AIUI, is that the USPS is protected by the US Postal Inspection Service (who are, as you say, quite zealous), whereas I’m not sure the same extends to UPS/FedEx (where you’d probably be looking at an FBI investigation instead). However if you (or Amazon) mailed e.g. the return labels over USPS the USPIS could still get involved.
  - gumby 7y ago
    Thanks.

userbinator 7y ago

I think you would have to be on the supplier side, no doubt they have more checks in place for returned items than ones coming from suppliers.