How did linking bank accounts to PayPal enable the orders?

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Linking Bank Accounts to PayPal Facilitated Fraudulent Orders Through a System Glitch

Linking bank accounts to PayPal was a critical step in the scheme to obtain free laptops, as it allowed payments to be processed and then seemingly reversed due to a system glitch. Participants would link their bank accounts to PayPal, maintaining only a minimal balance. This setup was exploited by an individual named Calvin Fong, who remotely controlled the participants' laptops to place orders for the devices.
Transaction Reversal Mechanism

The core of the fraudulent operation relied on a system glitch within PayPal. This glitch caused payments initiated for laptop purchases to be deducted from the linked bank accounts of the participants. However, almost immediately after the deduction, the system would automatically refund the amounts. This automatic reversal meant that no actual financial loss was incurred by the participants, while the tech companies, such as Lenovo and Microsoft, would process the orders as if the payments were legitimate.
Remote Control for Order Placement

Once the bank accounts were linked and the glitch was understood, the process of ordering the laptops was executed through remote access. Calvin Fong would gain remote control over the laptops of the individuals involved in the scheme. From this remote access, he would then proceed to place the orders for the laptops, leveraging the established PayPal payment method which, due to the glitch, appeared to be functioning correctly from the perspective of the transaction system.
Monetisation Through Commission and Bonuses

The individuals who participated in the scheme were motivated by financial incentives. After the laptops were delivered to Fong, he would then pay the participants a commission for their involvement. Furthermore, Fong offered a recruitment bonus of S$100 (approximately RM310) for each new person brought into the operation. This tiered incentive structure, involving both personal commissions and recruitment bonuses, encouraged the expansion of the scheme, leading to the fraudulent acquisition of laptops valued at S$32,000 and personal orders exceeding S$3,900 by one participant.

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How did linking bank accounts to PayPal enable the orders?

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