According to reports, a software developer from California, USA, allegedly defrauded his employer of nearly 300,000 Euros. The allegations strongly resemble a comedy from the late 90s. The money is said to be gone – it seems everything went into GameStop stocks.
If the cake is big enough, no one notices when a few crumbs are missing – right? This is supposedly what a software developer from the USA thought, and allegedly siphoned off more than 300,000 US dollars from his employer (approximately 285,000 €).
As reported by the US site Kotaku, they had access to some documents from the Kings County Superior Court in California, and should the allegations be true, the developer has nearly played out the plot of the comedy “Office Space.” (via kotaku.com).
When asked after his arrest where the money was, the developer stated that the money was gone; he had invested everything in GameStop stock options.
Gaming tells exciting stories time and again:
Developer tricks the software, steals about 300,000 $
How did the developer steal the money? The software developer worked at Zulily, a US online retailer. There, he had access to sensitive systems, such as setting prices and shipping costs. He apparently could also redirect cash flows.
The biggest chunk, 261,885 dollars, he supposedly stole by siphoning off shipping costs. Instead of going to his employer, the fees went directly to his own bank account.
In addition, the developer allegedly had products shipped to his home. However, he manipulated the prices in his orders – he set the prices to cents and supposedly thereby seized goods worth an additional 40,842 dollars.
Over several months, a total of 302,278.52 dollars were supposedly seized this way.
“OfficeSpace Project” – A story like from a movie
How did they catch on to him? Zulily recognized the irregularities in the system and assigned a few employees to investigate, including the accused software developer. To cover up his actions, he booked the missing amounts to customer accounts.
However, at some point, a skeptical colleague went to his house to investigate. In front of the house and in the driveway, many Zulily boxes were reportedly stacked up. After that, he was arrested.
After being fired, the developer returned his work laptop, which was then searched. Here, a file named “OfficeSpace Project” was found, named after the comedy film from the 90s.
The prosecution was able to trace the entire course of his fraud here. It was even documented how the developer wanted to keep his actions secret from management.
Afterward, there was another apartment search, where, among other things, a pull-out sofa from Zulily was found – still in its original packaging.
The money went into stocks, the stuff to a woman
What does the accused say? There has been no indictment yet, as the investigations are still ongoing. However, the developer has reportedly already made a partial confession. He stated that the money is gone – he invested everything in GameStop stock options.
The GameStop stock saw a huge boom in 2021 due to a herd movement. In addition to the “Meme Stock” investors, many inexperienced investors also invested in the stock. The stock exploded to more than 480 dollars – at the time of the article, it was at 15.77 dollars.
The products at the developer’s home he initially described as “test orders.” He just forgot to return them.
Later, he admitted that he also ordered the products for a woman he met through the dating app Tinder. He wanted to show off and impress her.
How did it end in the movie? The movie “Office Space” had a happy ending. The developers grabbed about 300,000 dollars, but realized their mistake, were remorseful, and wanted to clarify everything.
In the end, the office burned down, the involved developers did not have the money anymore and found a new job. But no one was arrested.
Whether the former software developer from Zulily will have a similarly fortunate outcome, we will probably never know. Because although he is confronted with many pieces of evidence and charges, the investigators found a small excerpt in his “OfficeSpace Project” document: “Prepare a backup plan.”
If you would like to read another story, check this out: 21-year-old earns 440,000 dollars with Fortnite, has to end pro career now due to a mistake – “I lost everything!”
