Anyone ever been involved in a fake tracking number Scam?

[Shave Souffle]

I bought a razor and soap not from this forum but I received a tracking number. It was shipping from California, and coming to Florida. 2 days after it was dropped off and the first update it was in Carolina, Puerto Rico…. WTH??? Then yesterday while at work I check the tracking# and it says delivered in or at the mailbox 1:37pm. I get home and get my mail but there was no package. Item was Expected to arrive on Thursday July 21st but says it was delivered 2 days earlier???

I contacted USPS to find out where it was delivered as it doesn’t specify my address it just says the city. They need to investigate so once they find out it wasnt delivered to my address I’ll have to do a charge back from cc as apparently PayPal will generally side with the scammer as long as it shows delivered. Scammers have been using this scam since at least 2017.

This is the first time it seems like I’ve been scammed in this fashion, and since I’ve been buying stuff online for years and fairly regularly it’s surprising it took this long for me to get scammed.

Just wondering others experiences about this.

Here’s the PayPal forum’s 16 page thread discussing this. Scamming seller used fake tracking number, PayPal automatically sides with scammer, twice. - https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Security-and-Fraud/Scamming-seller-used-fake-tracking-number-PayPal-automatically/td-p/1831343

 

[edw]

Yes it happened sometimes in these 23 years of online shopping.

Just opened a dispute to payment tool, as PayPal, and asked for money back.

 

[Shave Souffle]

Yes it happened sometimes in these 23 years of online shopping.

Just opened a dispute to payment tool, as PayPal, and asked for money back.

So PayPal ruled in your favor? Can you share the details?

 

[edw]

So PayPal ruled in your favor? Can you share the details?

Yes it is easy just go there and fill a claim.

 

[Shave Souffle]

Yes it is easy just go there and fill a claim.

So to be clear, you had the same scam where the tracking # said it was delivered when it wasn’t delivered to your address? If so, PayPal won’t refund you. Read the link I posted. Maybe after jumping through hoops in rare occasions they’ll issue a refund. People in that thread shared stories where UPS or USPS let the person know it wasn’t their address it shipped to but weren’t allowed (for privacy reasons) to reveal the actual address it was delivered at. Even with a document from UPS/USPS stating it shipped to a different address, PayPal still rolled in favor of the scammer and closed the dispute

 

[Dnallehekaj]

I had this happen recently.

Paypal ruled in favor of the seller, because their valid tracking number showed it was delivered.

They told me to get something from USPS that showed it was delivered to an address different than my address. I don't remember what it's called, but I had to go into the post office to get it, and they needed postmaster approval to give it to me.

I sent Paypal support the form, and my money was refunded.

Even if they rule against your case, keep bugging them!

 

[Shave Souffle]

Well, I think I have to wait. I received this email:

after i called USPS and left my information on the automated system. I tried calling back and talked to a woman but she said they can’t do anything more until USPS contacts me back after they investigate.

 

[edw]

Here in Brazil all tracked packs are signed for at delivery.

So it's an easy call.

 

[Shave Souffle]

Here in Brazil all tracked packs are signed for at delivery.

So it's an easy call.

Definitely safer that way. Usually I’m at work when packages are delivered so it would be a huge inconvenience to have to schedule a time to be home just to sign for packages or go to the mail center where they hold the packages that are undeliverable. Imagine having to sign for every Amazon package? Hell, I get 4 or 5 packages a week on average, just from Amazon alone.

 

[DeBladeRunner]

File a charge back with the credit card..the PayPal funding source..you will get your money back...it's as easy as that...

 

[Acmemfg]

…and yet any sale of goods facilitated on BST must be done through PayPal?

 

[borwish]

I had it happen through Wal-mart.com Wal-mart listened agreed and with me, but their policy is to give the seller a certain period of time to make amends. When that period ended Wal-mart refunded me no problem.

One thing that helps is to ask the Post Office for the weight of the item. If the weight is way off you know it's a scam.

 

[Shave Souffle]

Does the weight seem off? This order was for a Black Tatara Masamune razor and stand, along with a 4 ounce soap which I’m guessing is in a glass container.

Any thoughts on if the full Tatara cork box and outer sleeve along with the soap would even fit in the 10.5x16 mailer? Seems like the box would be tall to fit in that paper sleeve mailer (not the bubble envelope)

 

[luvmysuper]

…and yet any sale of goods facilitated on BST must be done through PayPal?

Yes, for the 874th time.
Any system can be scammed. ANY SYSTEM.
Got a better alternative that is scam proof? Let's hear it.
Personal Check? Hardly scam proof.
Venmo? Same as cash - out of luck.
Postal Money Order? How would that prevent a Tracking number scam?
Your issue isn't fear of scamming, as you have made it abundantly clear on numerous occasions, your issue with PayPal is that they document sales which means you have to pay for legally incurred taxes.
Taxes have to be paid, it's a legal obligation. Write your politicians. Vote for folks who want to revise the tax code. Join the Libertarian Party.
We're not going to change things here to make it so people don't have to pay their taxes.

 

[Acmemfg]

Always the possibility it got lifted from your mailbox. Mail sent via air often utilizes available space on commercial flights…like to PR or other locations somewhere along the general route.
VISA will most probably refund your expenses.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Always the possibility it got lifted from your mailbox. Mail sent via air often utilizes available space on commercial flights…like to PR or other locations somewhere along the general route.
VISA will most probably refund your expenses.

Yes, you can't really go by the tracking history-- I recently sent something from Minnesota to Florida and it went there by way of Bakersfield, California.

OP, file a claim with PayPal. File a dispute with your credit card company. USPS actually takes fraud pretty seriously, so give them time to investigate it. As you say, PayPal won't do anything about it without more proof from USPS but at least you'll have started the process. Your credit card company should be a little more responsive.

Also, I've been working directly with USPS for years professionally, and I have had multiple instances where they scanned a piece as delivered by mistake when it actually should have been just a location scan (i.e, arrived at the next facility). This is a common problem especially with Smart Post items (where it's being handed off between them and another carrier like FedEx or UPS) as well as non-priority parcels like ground, media, even first class package.

 

[Shave Souffle]

Yes, you can't really go by the tracking history-- I recently sent something from Minnesota to Florida and it went there by way of Bakersfield, California.

OP, file a claim with PayPal. File a dispute with your credit card company. USPS actually takes fraud pretty seriously, so give them time to investigate it. As you say, PayPal won't do anything about it without more proof from USPS but at least you'll have started the process. Your credit card company should be a little more responsive.

Also, I've been working directly with USPS for years professionally, and I have had multiple instances where they scanned a piece as delivered by mistake when it actually should have been just a location scan (i.e, arrived at the next facility). This is a common problem especially with Smart Post items (where it's being handed off between them and another carrier like FedEx or UPS) as well as non-priority parcels like ground, media, even first class package.

I haven’t even contacted my credit card company yet. I’ll have to check if my payment was through credit card or bank even. I could be screwed there if i selected bank. My default setting is cc through PayPal though.

 

[LJBraaten]

I got scammed on an item from eBay once. They had thousands of sales, and their overall feedback rating was something like 99.7%. Must be safe, right? Well, they sent me a tracking number and the package was never put in the mail. I took it up with eBay and their investigation sided with me, they refunded my money. I then went back and looked at recent feedback, and it was overwhelmingly negative on items not shipped. The company would ship a few packages now and then so that a casual glance at the feedback would only show a one or two negatives at a time. It was obvious that the company had established a positive reputation, built up a buffer of positive feedback, then start robbing customers before they quit or were shut down. I watched the company for a couple of weeks before they disappeared and saw their over positive feedback rating steadily decline. I now pay more attention to recent ratings when I am considering a bid!

 

[DeBladeRunner]

I haven’t even contacted my credit card company yet. I’ll have to check if my payment was through credit card or bank even. I could be screwed there if i selected bank. My default setting is cc through PayPal though

If you used your checking account through a Mastercard or visa..you can dispute the charge..

 

[DeBladeRunner]

Does the weight seem off? This order was for a Black Tatara Masamune razor and stand, along with a 4 ounce soap which I’m guessing is in a glass container.

View attachment 1491509

Any thoughts on if the full Tatara cork box and outer sleeve along with the soap would even fit in the 10.5x16 mailer? Seems like the box would be tall to fit in that paper sleeve mailer (not the bubble envelope)

note that they purchased that mailer. however,it's not fully known if they used that specific envelope to mail your package..Perhaps,it was for the next person they were going to scam..