Couple charged in connection with scheme to defraud Staples
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A couple from Georgia is facing charges in connection with a scheme to defraud Framingham, Massachusetts-based Staples, Inc. of more than $1.4 million.
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz says 46-year-old John Douglas is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. His wife, 41-year-old Analyn Douglass, is charged with conspiracy to ship stolen goods in interstate commerce. It's unclear whether they have lawyers.
Investigators say Douglas and a co-conspirator created more than 1,100 Staples rewards accounts, often using fictitious information. Douglas used a computer script to query a Staples website and seek unclaimed customer loyalty rewards for purchases he didn't make.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Investigators say they used the rewards to buy merchandise at Staples retail locations throughout United States and that Analyn Douglass sold much of the merchandise on eBay.