Erin Joseph Finan, 38, and Leah Jeanette Finan, 37, from Indiana, have pleaded guilty to postal fraud and money laundering.

The couple face fines of up to $500,000, as well as prison sentences of up to 20 years.

They will be sentenced on 9 November.

According to local newspaper the Muncie Star Press, the Finans used hundreds of false online identities to order popular tech gadgets from Amazon, including Samsung smartwatches, GoPro cameras and Xbox video game consoles.

The couple then contacted Amazon's customer service department to report that the items had arrived damaged or were not working, and Amazon sent out replacement products for free.

The Finans then sold the merchandise on to another individual, who resold the products to an unnamed firm based in New York.

The couple and their accomplice were eventually caught after a joint investigation conducted by the US Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police and the Internal Revenue Service.