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Lyon Court Holds Mother Accountable for Accounts Opened for Young Man Who Profited from Fake Refunds and Transactions in Cash and Cryptocurrencies
The mother of a young man in Lyon, France, was ordered to reimburse Amazon €72,000 after her son, now of legal age, committed a scam that exploited a loophole in the company’s refund policy. The case occurred at the end of last year.
The decision came after an investigation that began in 2022 and uncovered a scheme that moved tens of thousands of euros in diverted products.
How the Scam Worked
The case gained attention because the young man used a simple method. He placed orders on Amazon and, upon receiving the packages, claimed they were empty.
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The company chose to issue an immediate refund to avoid lengthy legal processes, thus the student kept the products as well as the refunded money. The scheme grew rapidly.
The teenager started offering a service called “Guaranteed Refund” on Telegram and Twitter. He charged a commission to carry out the scam on behalf of other users, and also accepted payments in both cash and cryptocurrencies.
The Lyon police became aware of the fraud in February 2022. An anonymous tip pointed to a 16-year-old student at Ecole 42 as responsible for successive scams against e-commerce companies.
The young man accumulated €82,000 in goods before being prosecuted. After that, he received a five-month prison sentence imposed by the Juvenile Court.
Amazon, for its part, sought reimbursement of €72,000 related to the direct losses caused.
Why the Mother Ended Up in Court
Even after her son’s conviction, the story did not end there. The mother was called to trial by the Lyon Criminal Court on charges of contributing to the scheme. According to the investigation, she opened several bank accounts in her son’s name.
She claimed that the accounts would only be used for her son to receive an annual scholarship of €740. She also said she was unaware of any irregular transactions and had no idea that her son had accumulated €82,000.
However, during the hearing, information emerged that cast doubt on her explanations. Authorities reported the existence of accounts opened in Lithuania to convert amounts into cryptocurrencies, in addition to transfers sent to close relatives.
Messages discussing “€1,000 refunds” were also found between mother and son.
The Defense and the Shock of the Accusation
The woman claimed to have been deceived. According to her, her son stated that it was all about promotions that refunded 100% of the product price in exchange for positive reviews. She also said she was tired and ended up believing the stories.
The prosecutor, however, argued that the version seemed implausible because the mother would have noticed the circulating amounts. He stated that there was “willful blindness” for her own benefit.
The Sentence and Civil Liability
The Court concluded that there was sufficient evidence to convict her. The mother received a six-month prison sentence and a fine of €2,500.
Additionally, she was ordered to return the €72,000 to Amazon, as the son would have difficulty covering the amount alone.
According to GenBeta, the decision aims to ensure part of the loss is recouped. Although the young man is now of legal age, he still lives with his mother, so she remains considered civilly responsible.
With information from Xataka.
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