A Home Depot employee in South Florida has been arrested after police accused him of using 13 older customer orders to process $5,133.52 in unauthorized refunds.
Investigators say Marvin Colin, 28, accessed legitimate orders connected to customers the company had been unable to reach or whose information had changed.
He allegedly issued refunds even though no merchandise had been returned.
Some refunds went to two unidentified people, while four transactions allegedly sent money to a debit card that had not been used for the original purchases.
Thirteen Older Customer Orders Were Reportedly Used
Home Depot management provided North Miami police with an asset-protection investigative packet documenting 13 disputed transactions, according to Local 10 News. The packet included transaction records, dates, times, register information, surveillance photographs and other supporting documents.
Police said Colin selected older orders after previous attempts to contact the original customers had failed or their information had changed. He then allegedly accessed the orders through Home Depot’s management system and processed refunds at the customer-service register without receiving the merchandise.
The 13 transactions occurred between June 6 and July 16. NBC Miami reported that they were processed on June 6, June 27, July 8, July 11 and July 16.
Four Refunds Allegedly Went to an Unrelated Debit Card
On four occasions, Colin allegedly changed the original payment type and directed the refund to a debit card that was not connected to the purchase. Police have not identified the cardholder or disclosed how much of the $5,133.52 was sent to that account.
Other refunds were allegedly provided to two unidentified people shown in the store’s surveillance records. Authorities have not disclosed their relationship to Colin or announced whether investigators are seeking charges against them.
Home Depot’s records showed that Colin’s employee identification number was used for each of the 13 transactions, police said. Surveillance photographs allegedly corroborated the company’s account by showing the people who received some of the refunds.
Police Arrested Colin at the Store
North Miami officers arrested Colin on July 28 at the Home Depot at 12055 Biscayne Boulevard. He was charged with grand theft involving between $5,000 and $10,000 and organized fraud involving $20,000 or less.
Local 10 reported on July 29 that Colin was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond. The charges are allegations. No plea, restitution order, trial date or final disposition had been reported.
Refunds Normally Return to the Original Payment Method
Home Depot’s published refund policy says purchases supported by valid proof of purchase are generally refunded to the original form of payment unless an exception applies.
A customer who sees an unexpected refund, canceled order or change in an online purchase history should contact Home Depot through independently obtained support information rather than responding to a message containing an unfamiliar link or telephone number.
The company lists its customer-care number as 1-800-466-3337. Customers can also sign in directly through HomeDepot.com to review their order and purchase history.
An affected customer should preserve the order number, refund amount, date, payment method and any email or app notification. The bank or card issuer should also be contacted if a transaction appears on an unfamiliar card or an expected refund is redirected.