By Юрий Маслов @Adobe Stock

Liz Young of The Wall Street Journal reports that more than $100 billion in merchandise was returned fraudulently in the U.S. in 2023, retailers say, up sharply since 2020. She writes:

Some companies processing returned televisions for retailers have gotten a surprise when opening the boxes—packaging filled with bricks rather than newly purchased TVs.

Others examining returned purchases of purported luxury goods are instead finding counterfeits sent in by customers looking for refunds on full-price, deluxe merchandise.

The tactics are part of what logistics experts say is a growing problem for retailers as the overall rate of returns surges. More of those goods are coming back as fraudulent returns, retailers say, including merchandise that has been outright stolen or sent back using fake receipts.

The National Retail Federation estimates more than $100 billion in merchandise was returned fraudulently in the U.S. in 2023. […]

If a Pollen Returns employee is supposed to pick up a new pair of loafers “and you put out your old New Balance shoes that you use to mow the lawn for five years—I don’t think most people are going to do that,” Piller said. “You can’t conceal this inside of a box like you could for the traditional returns process.”

Read more here.