What people fail to realise is that these cards cost virtually nothing to Apple to make. They have no inherent out of pocket value from Apple and they actually cost the company nothing at all. Just like printing money - out of thin air. The only "value" is what people put on them, but otherwise they are worthless bits of plastic. Even iTunes Music cards - despite have a "value" printed on them, the "actual" cost to Apple virtually nothing (just printing) - same process - say it's $50 - it does not actually cost Apple $50 for that card. So if they gave 10 away, there is no tangible value to Apple lost (despite claiming these are worth $$$$). The perceived "value" ($) on the iTunes Card only applies when the consumer pays for the iTunes Card to access that amount on the card via their account, via redemption.
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Apple Store Employee Charged With Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Apple Gift Cards
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thats the one who got caught, there are many like him I'm sure
I have experienced fraud by an apple genius employee myself (not to this scale, of course). His manager and apple head quarters started speaking legal mumbo jumbo and avoiding answers when I raised the obvious fraud. there's also a very interesting story on gizmodo about 'confessions of a bad genuis'. Basically they have million ways to scam Apple and their inventory control system is a joke. There seems to be a certain sense of entitlement culture going on there, where they feel they "deserve" those illegal perks because Apple is doing well and "not paying enough"
I have experienced fraud by an apple genius employee myself (not to this scale, of course). His manager and apple head quarters started speaking legal mumbo jumbo and avoiding answers when I raised the obvious fraud. there's also a very interesting story on gizmodo about 'confessions of a bad genuis'. Basically they have million ways to scam Apple and their inventory control system is a joke. There seems to be a certain sense of entitlement culture going on there, where they feel they "deserve" those illegal perks because Apple is doing well and "not paying enough"
Interesting story. Agree with those who say 15 years is a lot. It's cc fraud, not a violent crime. I'd bet a white collar criminal who bilked a company, investors or little old ladies out of 20 times that much would get a third of that sentence.
Massive? This waste of skin should be getting about three times what he's eligible for. He's a thief. The lowest form of life on earth. He decided he wanted something he didn't have, that didn't belong to him. So he coldly and calculatingly devised a plan to take it from others. In the process he also committed credit card fraud, which is essentially identity theft. I'd like to see him leave jail an old man.
It's not nearly enough.
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given the prices of their stuff, potentially quite a few.
the internet never forgets. Everyone knows his name. you can bet he was fired from Apple the moment they had him arrested. as the firing was due to stealing you can bet no state would not approve a refusal to give him unemployment. And now he's getting all this press for what he did. Rumor has it he either is in or is applying to law school, you can bet that's over.
Being in prison he'd get free room and board, medical, dental etc. and we taxpayers would be paying for it. Not in prison he'll have to sort all that out for himself.
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It always surprises me that the "innocent until proven guilty" does not apply to the press (and yes, I count a news blog as "press").
Notwithstanding all the puns the accused's name invites, I see no value whatsoever in publicizing the name of the accused. On the other hand the harm produced to a person, should he not be found guilty, can not be undone.
RGDS,
Notwithstanding all the puns the accused's name invites, I see no value whatsoever in publicizing the name of the accused. On the other hand the harm produced to a person, should he not be found guilty, can not be undone.
RGDS,
This is just hilarious. A credit card that requires you spend a certain amount every year? What do you get out of that?
These idiots are wealthy and think having the card makes them special. Then you peel back the curtains and realize it's just AmEx's way of fleecing them.
Way to go AmEx.
I dont understand guys....
What the heck is a re-coded credit card?
How was the guy able to use these cards to buy apple gift cards without having to pay? Did he steal the cards from other people?
What the heck is a re-coded credit card?
How was the guy able to use these cards to buy apple gift cards without having to pay? Did he steal the cards from other people?
Not only that, selling waay below face value should be an instant red flag to most people
It's the kind of thing where you go to jail if you are caught - if you buy $2,000 face value for $200, you _know_ it is dodgy.
Apple gives geniuses a lot of trust and power. Technically when you buy a gift card two transactions occur:
1. Your credit card is charged (or you give them cash)
2. They active the gift card and put the correct amount on it. This allows them to, say for example give a promotional 10%, give you a $110 gift card while only charging you $100
It seems he was able to get away with charging a credit card (and maybe canceling the charge later?) or not charging it at all (step #1), but step #2 was happening
The fact that this happens at a technology company like Apple is disturbing; you'd think they have better grip of their inventory and transactions to catch things like that but they don't. Apple doesn't know how to do serious enterprise / corporate software.
I was thinking the same thing. The average time served for murder in the US is something like 4-7 years.
I don't mind somebody getting 15 for theft. But seriously, murder should carry a LITTLE more of a penalty.
Ohhh, I can't even BEGIN to say how I disagree with you on this dirtbag.
Theft, while maybe not on the order of murder, goes to the root of our economy and commerce. If we don't pursue and punish fraud and theft with diligence and energy, then our whole commerce structure is at risk for collapsing.
This goes equally for crimes committed by individuals AND organizations. And equally for crimes committed AGAINST individuals AND/OR organizations.
One reason that Apple and Microsoft are successful is that they protect their assets (stores, app stores) and they'll take up legal arms to fight for their interests. You can't just stop that and expect that people won't try to take your property.
I say fight. Go after thieves. Lock your doors. Lock your databases and apps. 90% of successful thieves were successful because the doors weren't locked (figuratively or literally). And when one gets through, you have to have to be a pain in the ass for the cops to arrest them (cops often don't pursue crimes, so you have to be the squeaky wheel). If the cops make an arrest, then you have to do EVERYTHING you can to ensure a stiff penalty is levied.
When crime goes unpunished or underpunished, we will have more crime. Period.
If Apple cares about Apple's future, the company should press charges for fraud, theft, ID theft, being an idiot, you name it. 15 years may be a bit much, but the guy should get 5-10 with no chance of early release. Word gets around, this is a fact.
considering that Apple would be sued for a large amount of money if he's not guilty and Apple had him arrested and fired him with a valid cause to deny him unemployment, I'm betting they had him dead to rights with solid proof.
My BF works for Apple and I asked him about this idea. According to him the only way to do a stunt like that is to split tender and short a drawer by pretending to take cash that you didn't. or didn't take the full amount. There are no promos on gift cards. And if a drawer is short they have to report why so repeated incidents would be investigated. Who was working, who did cash or a no sale, do they see the person on camera dropping cash etc.
The BFs guess is that he was palming blank cards and running the transactions in a back room corner or even the bathroom which is why no one noticed him running stuff with no customer in sight. If the numbers were stolen its possible that the real owners called it in and they spotted a pattern of who was ringing them up etc
They outta start a program called IJailForLife. Sorta like iPhone for life program, but for crooks
Yeah, 2 MBP's for his daughters and some iPods/itunes GCs for grandkids or something. Not much but it was around 6k I remember. And no Mac Pro's.. lol those things are HEAVY. I had to carry a few out to the customers car in my time at the store and its not fun.
I was hoping he would buy me a macbook or something but oh well.
I agree violent crime should receive longer sentences than white collar crimes.
I think they should put a ankle bracelet on him. Make him work to put of roof over his head. Confine him to home when his not working.
Why should the tax payer have to pay for him for the next 15 years?
Interesting. I had a couple of friends who worked at retail (not Apple) and they were telling me that's how they do stuff like that. HOWEVER, every night there's a reconciliation process for inventory (and gift cards in particular). They even had a separate 'spot' in the cash register for gift cards only, since gift cards are technically a prepaid loan.
Either way, I maintain my opinion that Apple doesn't have the best inventory checks in place and doesn't seem to have the capacity or expertise to develop enterprise or POS software; that's a whole different game than bouncing icons in iOS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_CardThis is just hilarious. A credit card that requires you spend a certain amount every year? What do you get out of that?
These idiots are wealthy and think having the card makes them special. Then you peel back the curtains and realize it's just AmEx's way of fleecing them.
Way to go AmEx.
Essentially, the perks help the cardholder spend money more "efficiently".
For instance, if you'd like to spend thousands of dollars "updating" your wardrobe (every season), but simply don't have the time to do it in person, this card is for you.
$2k for 2 hunnid. Yup that's what's called a hussle y'all. You suburban kids here talking about he should have sold them for a grand is obviously sheltered from the hussling street life (which is a good thing mind you) so never attempt it as you would have probably gotten busted at your first attempt before you could sell even one. The whole idea is to move as many of them as quickly as possible. You can not effectively move these charging four figures ea. no matter how much is on the card.
Move 10 in a WEEK = 1k and @ 4wks $4k
Or
Maybe Move one in a MONTH @ $1k ea.
Remember kids he's not conducting official transactions in an Apple Store environment with your random casual customer walking in.
Lol you guys are hilarious.
Move 10 in a WEEK = 1k and @ 4wks $4k
Or
Maybe Move one in a MONTH @ $1k ea.
Remember kids he's not conducting official transactions in an Apple Store environment with your random casual customer walking in.
Lol you guys are hilarious.
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if he was really smart he could have gotten a lot more money for each card. even at 50% its still a deal. And if he was doing it with stolen credit card numbers its not like he had a lot of expenses for the whole thing.