N.C. woman admits 400G scam of QVC

A North Carolina woman pleaded guilty in federal court here yesterday to scamming QVC, the West Chester-based home-shopping network, out of more than $412,000.

Authorities said Quantina Moore-Perry, 33, of Greensboro, exploited a glitch in QVC's computer system from March to November 2005 and ordered more than 1,800 items from QVC's Web site.

The glitch permitted her to order handbags, housewares, jewelry and electronics, then immediately cancel orders and receive credit for them.

But the computer flaw did not prevent delivery of more than 1,800 items to Moore-Perry's Greensboro address and the addresses of some of her family members.

The case against Moore-Perry was cracked in November 2005 by an Alabama woman and her friend, who contacted QVC security about some items they had purchased on the Internet auction site eBay.

The women said the items had arrived in QVC packages.

QVC then contacted Moore-Perry to see if she had purchased any items from its Web site and subsequently closed out her account in November 2005.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Gray said eBay records confirmed that Moore-Perry had sold items on eBay from March to November 2005.

The Secret Service contacted United Parcel Service, and one of its drivers identified Moore-Perry as the person to whom he had delivered many QVC packages during the same period, Gray told the court.

Authorities then interviewed Moore-Perry and she owned up to the scam, Gray said. He said no evidence existed to show that she had caused the computer glitch. She simply had taken advantage of it.

Moore-Perry could face two to three years in prison under advisory sentencing guidelines when she is sentenced.

She also has agreed to forfeit more than $412,679 to the feds.

Moore-Perry was released yesterday on $20,000 unsecured bond pending sentencing. U.S. District Senior Judge Louis H. Pollak did not set a sentencing date.