WARNING SCAM fake tracking | Questions and answers among users

esob86 · 2026-05-15T09:56:11.887000Z

1. The accomplice’s roleThe accomplice is usually someone who works inside a courier company, a sorting center, or a pickup point, or another seller who has access to a large volume of real shipments. Their job is to provide the scammer with an authentic tracking number that meets two requirements:It must be associated with the same ZIP code (Postal Code) as the victim.It must have a shipping date compatible with the purchase made.2. The "False Positive" mechanismE-commerce platforms and payment systems monitor shipment status through APIs connected to couriers. However, for privacy reasons, the system often only sees the final status (e.g.: "Delivered in Rome, 00151") and not the exact street address or the recipient’s name.The action: The seller enters the tracking code provided by the accomplice into the system. That code belongs to a real package shipped to another person who lives in the same neighborhood or area as the victim.The illusion: When the real package (the accomplice’s one) is delivered to the legitimate recipient, the platform’s system records: "Delivered in ZIP code [X]".3. The consequences for the victimClosing the dispute: If the buyer opens a claim for "item not received," the seller shows the tracking that appears delivered in the correct ZIP code. Many automated systems close the dispute in favor of the seller, believing that the package was stolen after delivery or that the buyer is lying.Difficulty of proof: For the victim, it is hard to prove the trick, since the courier confirms that that shipment number actually arrived at its destination in that city. RESULT - I lost €1070 on the purchase of an iPhone, both Ebay support and Paypal sided with the seller even though I had filed a complaint with the police.it’s a perfect system and I had no way to defend myself.

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WARNING SCAM fake tracking | Questions and answers among users | eBay Italy