Highlights

• A case has been registered against 22 former Amazon employees in Telangana.
• The case is for a ₹102 crore fraud involving the manipulation of freight assignments for bribes.
• Amazon’s internal investigation revealed that employees assigned fraudulent bobtail tasks to US carriers.
• The accused took bribes ranging from $5 to $500 per assignment or up to $2,000 monthly.
• All have been charged under various legal sections after Amazon’s complaint led to the registration of an FIR.

Telangana’s Cyber Security Bureau has registered a case against 22 former employees of Amazon Development Centre (India) Pvt Ltd for their involvement in a ₹102 crore fraud. Most of the accused are from Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Karimnagar in Telangana and Vizianagaram, East Godavari and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. A few are also from Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The accused were employed at Amazon’s Relay Operations Centre (ROC) in Nanakramguda, which manages freight operations across multiple countries. According to Amazon’s complaint, they took bribes to manipulate freight assignments, benefiting certain third-party carriers in the US.

Amazon’s Investigation Findings

Amazon’s internal probe, which started on April 30, 2022, found that the two transport specialists at the ROC illegally assigned “bobtails” to US carriers for bribes. Bobtailing refers to empty trucks moving without a trailer between facilities, typically under strict conditions. The accused manipulated this system to assign fraudulent bobtails leading to unauthorised payments.

Further investigation uncovered 18 more employees involved in the fraud, who accepted bribes between $5 and $500 per assignment or monthly payments of up to $2,000.

The employees exploited Amazon’s freight management system (FMC) to rig data and bypass approvals, making it seem like these fake assignments were legitimate. Some employees confessed to their involvement during internal disciplinary proceedings.

The accused have been charged under various sections of the IPC, IT Act and other relevant laws.

Amazon initially filed a private complaint after Gachibowli PS and Cyberabad police’s economic offences wing refused to register an FIR. The Kukatpally court directed the police to file a case, leading to the FIR being transferred to the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau on January 22.

FAQs

Q1. What is the fraud case involving former Amazon employees in Telangana?

Answer. The fraud involves 22 former Amazon Development Centre employees who manipulated freight assignments for bribes, resulting in a ₹102 crore scam. Most of the accused are from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Q2. How did the former Amazon employees carry out the fraudulent activities?

Answer. The employees at Amazon’s Relay Operations Centre took bribes to assign fraudulent “bobtails” to US carriers, manipulating the freight management system to make these fake assignments appear legitimate. They accepted bribes ranging from $5 to $500 per assignment or monthly payments of up to $2,000.

Q3. What actions have been taken against the 22 former Amazon employees accused of fraud?

Answer. The accused have been charged under various sections of the IPC, IT Act, and other relevant laws. Following Amazon’s complaint and a court directive, the FIR was registered and transferred to the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau.

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