Ladue man used online ticketing glitch to scam American Airlines out of $160K
Sep 12, 2020, 10:40 pm
#16
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
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He was undoubtedly wrong to do this, but AA are also culpable with their incompetence. AA made a deliberate decision to do things on the cheap which exposed them to this kind of fraud.
Some only learn fire is hot after they get burned
Some only learn fire is hot after they get burned
Last edited by soy; Sep 13, 2020 at 8:19 am
Sep 13, 2020, 6:44 am
#17
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,433
In order to cheat, they need to find methods which allow them to do so.
Business's set up procedures in order to allow customers flexibility when using or purchasing their products. Sometimes, the purchasing systems being used don't get all the i's dotted and t's crossed. An honest customer will not exploit the vulnerability, the cheater will look for it.
We could always go back to cash payments made in person for secured tickets to ensure safety to the system, but 99.9% of us don't wish that to happen.
It's the 1% where we need law enforcement, fines and prisons (and that doesn't stop them anyway
)
Sep 13, 2020, 8:46 am
#19
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Sep 13, 2020, 9:32 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 369
Interesting that the feds charged him with 'wire fraud'. It's quite common for the feds to charge a defendant with wire fraud or mail fraud respectively, as a "hammer" to get them to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Perhaps they thought it might be difficult to prove intent, so go with the easy infraction.
Sep 13, 2020, 10:05 am
#21
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Interesting that the feds charged him with 'wire fraud'. It's quite common for the feds to charge a defendant with wire fraud or mail fraud respectively, as a "hammer" to get them to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Perhaps they thought it might be difficult to prove intent, so go with the easy infraction.
Sep 16, 2020, 11:23 am
#22
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 369
'Wire fraud' is normally a secondary charge, covering whatever financial transactions utilized to facilitate the primary crime or transfer of the ill-gotten gains into your possession.
That's why it's a hammer. 
They tell the guy he can get 20 years for the wire fraud, but they'll consider dropping the charge if they plead guilty to xxxx. Tends to work.
On the flip side, there's plenty of a hammer. Maximum penalty is 20 years + $250K fine, so plenty of room to maneuver.
They tell the guy he can get 20 years for the wire fraud, but they'll consider dropping the charge if they plead guilty to xxxx. Tends to work.
Sep 17, 2020, 10:40 am
#23
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Sep 17, 2020, 11:21 am
#24
Join Date: Jan 2016
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