Caporegime
Didn't the same sort of thing happen to Logitech?
Logitech got scammed a different way. Their returns policy was so generous you just needed to give them a serial number and you got sent a replacement product.
If memory serves a third party was taking orders for Logitech goods, then submitting warranty claims to Logitech (not sure how they got the serial numbers) and Logitech would send out a replacement to the person that ordered originally.
There's a post on it elsewhere with swearies, it's easy to find, describing how it was done.