Tampa man accused of scamming Apple out of $309,768

[Dietrichw]

Source

 

 

A man ran up a $7,753.22 bill at an Apple store. When his debit card was declined, he pretended to call his bank. He gave the store clerk a fake authorization code to punch into the card reader. And that's how the man, 24-year-old Sharron Laverne Parrish Jr. of Tampa, scammed one of the biggest high-tech companies in the world — not once but 42 times — totaling $309,768, according to federal court records.

 

A Secret Service criminal complaint charges Parrish with wire fraud, alleging that he tricked Apple clerks in 16 states into accepting meaningless override codes. He is accused of hitting the Brandon store twice, along with stores in Orlando, Wellington and Boca Raton.

 

 

The scam was made possible through a practice known as a "forced sale," "forced post" or "forced code."

A credit or debit card gets declined, a customer protests that funds should be available and a merchant calls the card issuer, looking for authorization to proceed.

If the issuer approves, the merchant gets an authorization code, creating a record of the override.

But that code isn't special.

"It does not actually matter what code the merchant types into the terminal," the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey stated publicly in February after a similar case there. "Any combination of digits will override the denial."

[Jodomcfrodo]

That is a really stupid system if they don't have to verify that the authorization code is legit...

[connorpiper]

I would do it once and be done if I was him. The same store twice...

[Shd0w2]

"biggest high-tech companies in the world"

 

 

BULL SHIT

[Titanicium]

Lawl. Get rekt Apple.

[Kevinkt]

inb4 racist jokes.

 

 

But really lawllll get rekt apple

[Accursed Entity]

That is one dumb system... he's also dumb for doing it again and again.

[deVIZtation]

It's a high. Dude was probably so happy he got away with it the first time and then decided to see how far he could take it.

[Nineshadow]

I like how the background behind the Apple logo in the picture is black...

 

Racist Apple!

[Trik'Stari]

 

If he gave that money, equally to all apple customers, it wouldn't be fraud or theft anymore, it would be a LONG overdue refund.

[dalekphalm]

"biggest high-tech companies in the world"

 

 

BULL SHIT

wat... Apple IS one of the biggest high-tech companies in the world. Not THE biggest, but it's pretty high up there.

 

Also that authorization system is ridiculous! Also letting the customer call his own bank? Are they fucking stupid? Each store will have an official merchant authorization call list for various banks/card types. I wouldn't even let him call and then pass the phone to me, because I have no way of knowing that who I'm talking to is even from the right bank, it could be his uncle pretending.

[Trik'Stari]

wat... Apple IS one of the biggest high-tech companies in the world. Not THE biggest, but it's pretty high up there.

 

Also that authorization system is ridiculous! Also letting the customer call his own bank? Are they fucking stupid? Each store will have an official merchant authorization call list for various banks/card types. I wouldn't even let him call and then pass the phone to me, because I have no way of knowing that who I'm talking to is even from the right bank, it could be his uncle pretending.

Your forget good sir, your talking about APPLE employees, not normal people.

[dalekphalm]

Your forget good sir, your talking about APPLE employees, not normal people.

I've never actually spoken to one, so I cannot confirm or deny their stupidity

 

I do hope that every single employee who accepted a code that some random guy says his bank gave him (Whether he pretended to call the bank or not), gets fucking fired. They should never accept information coming from an outside source unless the employee initiated the call and can confirm that it is in fact a bank they're speaking with.

 

Here in Canada, you can't really override a debit card. If it's declined, then it's declined. However you can override Credit Cards here, though I don't know if they use the same (Enter any random number, lol noob) system.

[Misanthrope]

[Trik'Stari]

I've never actually spoken to one, so I cannot confirm or deny their stupidity

 

I do hope that every single employee who accepted a code that some random guy says his bank gave him (Whether he pretended to call the bank or not), gets fucking fired. They should never accept information coming from an outside source unless the employee initiated the call and can confirm that it is in fact a bank they're speaking with.

 

Here in Canada, you can't really override a debit card. If it's declined, then it's declined. However you can override Credit Cards here, though I don't know if they use the same (Enter any random number, lol noob) system.

You don't really have to speak to them, they work for apple, that's proof enough of their "intelligence"

[mully006]

Here is a video that explains it

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFVQzqivohw

[mr moose]

wat... Apple IS one of the biggest high-tech companies in the world. Not THE biggest, but it's pretty high up there.

 

Also that authorization system is ridiculous! Also letting the customer call his own bank? Are they fucking stupid? Each store will have an official merchant authorization call list for various banks/card types. I wouldn't even let him call and then pass the phone to me, because I have no way of knowing that who I'm talking to is even from the right bank, it could be his uncle pretending.

 

I know it's all subjective, but when someone  says "one of the biggest", I am in the frame of mind of top 3 or 4 in general overall standing.   to make a case otherwise we would have to start getting very specific with the products and definitions of success.

[dalekphalm]

I know it's all subjective, but when someone  says "one of the biggest", I am in the frame of mind of top 3 or 4 in general overall standing.   to make a case otherwise we would have to start getting very specific with the products and definitions of success.

True, it's all subjective. Your definition may be top 3-4. Others may say within top 10. Maybe top 30, etc. etc.

 

Profit wise though, it's hard to beat how much money Apple makes and is able to sit on.

 

For example, this article lists them as the #1 Tech company on the Fortune 500 list (They are listed 6th overall):

http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/channel-programs/240154736/the-25-biggest-tech-companies-on-the-fortune-500.htm/pgno/0/25

 

This is from summer 2013. Their revenue is listed at $156.5 Billion USD. I'd say that qualifies as "One of the biggest".

 

If this information has become out of date, you're welcome to link some evidence so I can learn from it.

[mr moose]

True, it's all subjective. Your definition may be top 3-4. Others may say within top 10. Maybe top 30, etc. etc.

 

Profit wise though, it's hard to beat how much money Apple makes and is able to sit on.

 

For example, this article lists them as the #1 Tech company on the Fortune 500 list (They are listed 6th overall):

http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/channel-programs/240154736/the-25-biggest-tech-companies-on-the-fortune-500.htm/pgno/0/25

 

This is from summer 2013. Their revenue is listed at $156.5 Billion USD. I'd say that qualifies as "One of the biggest".

 

If this information has become out of date, you're welcome to link some evidence so I can learn from it.

 

Or you could go on market share, product shipment,  customer satisfaction,  industry depth,  etc.  Just depends how we want to rate them.

 

EDIT: top ten?  some people might be struggling to name ten companies that produce computers and or phones.

 

EDIT2: I can only think of about 6 companies that produce computers of the top of my head and it turns out for product shipment apple is last.  <- again this is subjective.

[Kingofpants]

Okay so any combination of digits will override it.... That seems broken?

[Psykomantis00]

"biggest high-tech companies in the world"

 

 

BULL SHIT

 

You do know that Apple is THE biggest tech company in the world right? Not just "one of", but THE biggest. 

[Mooshi]

KANYE WEST HOW COULD YOU

[Psykomantis00]

wat... Apple IS one of the biggest high-tech companies in the world. Not THE biggest, but it's pretty high up there.

 

Also that authorization system is ridiculous! Also letting the customer call his own bank? Are they fucking stupid? Each store will have an official merchant authorization call list for various banks/card types. I wouldn't even let him call and then pass the phone to me, because I have no way of knowing that who I'm talking to is even from the right bank, it could be his uncle pretending.

No, apple is THE biggest company, not even just in the tech world, in the entire economy. Apple number 1. http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/07/investing/google-exxon-market-value/

 

I love how people always shit on apple, but don't know any real facts. 

[ShadowCaptain]

 

I love how people always shit on apple, but don't know any real facts. 

 

That is because people are arrogant

 

including 50% of this forum

[pk-man]

i bet he did it at the Genius Bar