This manager of network services wanted
to make more money, so he took a role in…
Cisco and the Thief
Scene 1
Philip Webb, manager of network services: Hey, Cisco, this part is defective. Can I return it?
Cisco Systems: Yes, here’s the procedure…
(Repeat this many times)
Scene 2
Philip Webb, online seller of Cisco parts: Hey, I have this Cisco equipment for sale. Want to buy it?
Online buyer looking for a deal: What a good deal! I’ll buy it…
(Repeat this many times)
Scene 3
Cisco Systems fraud manager 1: Hey, this guy seems to be returning a lot more of our equipment than normal.
Cisco Systems fraud manager 2: And hey, this guy online seems to be selling used parts that match the equipment that the other guy’s returning…Cisco Systems fraud manager 1: Let’s look again at the part numbers of his returns…
Mr. Philip Webb, the manager of network services for a Postal Credit Union in Minnesota, was arrested and sentenced to 15 months in prison for mail fraud. He cheated Cisco Systems out of about $388,000 by returning cheap secondhand parts to Cisco as the defective parts, and selling the new Cisco equipment online.
Minn. man sentenced for cheating Cisco Systems, Bloomberg Businessweek>>