Archive · 14 Jan 2026
Teenager Profits ₹5 Crore with Fake Refunds
A 17-year-old boy named Lu in China found a way to trick an online shopping website.
He ordered lots of things and then asked for his money back, even though he never sent the items back.
He used fake delivery numbers to make it seem like he had returned the products.
He sold the items he kept and made a lot of money, about ₹5.18 crore.
He bought expensive things and had fun with his friends.
The court found out and sent him to jail for six years.
This shows that even young people can get in big trouble for cheating online.
A 17-year-old Chinese teenager named Lu committed large-scale online refund fraud by exploiting an e-commerce platform's return system.
He made nearly 11,900 fake refund requests using false courier tracking numbers, receiving refunds without returning any products.
Lu resold the goods worth about ₹6.15 crore and earned a profit of around ₹5.18 crore, which he spent on luxury items and entertainment.
The scam was uncovered in March 2024, and Lu was sentenced to six years in prison by a Shanghai court in July 2025.
This case highlights the growing issue of online fraud and the severe consequences, even for minors.
- Who
- A 17-year-old Chinese teenager named Lu
- What
- Exploited an e-commerce platform's return system to commit large-scale online refund fraud
- When
- The scam was uncovered in March 2024, and the verdict was delivered in July 2025
- Where
- China, with the court case in Shanghai
- Why
- To profit from reselling goods obtained through fraudulent refunds
- Scammer's Name
- Lu (surname)
- Age
- 17
- Number of Fake Refunds
- 11,900
- Total Goods Value
- ₹6.15 crore
- Profit Earned
- ₹5.18 crore
- Sentence
- 6 years in prison
- Court Location
- Shanghai
- Verdict Date
- July 2025