Want a free Kindle? Eric shared this story of how an unscrupulous Amazon Marketplace buyer scored one from his friend through the use of lies and some attempted mail fraud. Here’s how the buyer did it. (Disclaimer: Do not actually do this.)

My friend sold a kindle through amazon.com.

The buyer claimed not to receive it and my friend had the money removed from her account.

The post office said the person DID receive the item and refused to pay on the insurance.

The buyer eventually admitted they received the item, but here is the trick – Amazon has to ask their permission to charge them for the product again. The buyer just refused to allow a second charge! vi-O-lah,

Buyer has product, Amazon has no money out of pocket and friend lost their kindle, plus was out shipping costs.

Want to protect yourself from scams like this? Always pay extra for delivery confirmation or use a shipping method with tracking, especially for big-ticket items. Everyone’s definition of “big-ticket” differs, but think of it this way: if losing the money will cause you significant problems in the near future, track and insure it. Not only will it come in handy if your package takes off for the opposite coast, you’ll have proof of where the package actually went.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.