Retail return fraud is rising as consumers send back purchases in droves
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As retailers tried to win shoppers and boost sales in recent years, they made their online return policies more lenient than ever. But those changes have come at a cost. As more consumers shop online and send back more of those orders, retailers have moved to crack down on fraud . In some cases, shoppers can send back different items than the ones they bought, return stolen items or claim a purchase never got delivered when it really did. Retailers estimate 13.7% of returns, or $101 billion worth, were fraudulent last year, according to a survey by Appriss Retail and the National Retail Federation. The share of returns expected to be fraudulent during the peak holiday season was even higher at 16.5%, or $24.5 billion worth, the survey found. Those goods are still flowing back in, as many retailers extend return windows for purchases made in November and December through the end of January. As retailers field those returns, fraud has become their top concern, industry expert...