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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty To $1 Million Barcode Scam

Written by Evan Schuman
November 6th, 2008

The defendant pleaded guilty to heading a conspiracy that netted more than $1million by using phony UPC labels to obtain products and then sell them on eBay, according to this story in The Register.

Tommy Joe Tidwell, 35, of Dayton, Ohio, pleaded guilty to three felony counts, including conspiracy to use unauthorized access devices, use of unauthorized access devices, and mail and wire fraud. The best part of the story, though, is that it shows the ineffectiveness of using ratings to sort out legit from non-legit sellers. “As was the case with an airport baggage handler charged with stealing passengers’ stuff, Tidwell’s eBay account enjoyed a stellar reputation. Out of 522 comments left, only four were negative, giving him a positive feedback rating of 99.2.”

Posted in IT Strategy/Industry, Mobile/Wireless/Contactless, Payment Systems, Security/Fraud
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