New 'China' Seller in L.A.? USPS LOST MY 777!

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JLF

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May 6, 2009
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Several weeks ago I saw an auction for a Sharp GF-777 pop up that read EXACTLY like some of the sellers in China.

Instead of the $800 - 1,100 Buy It Now prices that they offer for boxes in mint condition, this one had a BIN of $299!

I noticed the seller was in West Covina, CA; so shipping was only $50.

I rolled the dice and hit the button immediately.

Well, here is how it has turned out... and is still playing out!

Seller gave me a tracking number.

It was 'scanned by USPS as delivered at 11:15am on 12.23.11.'

Only, it wasnt delivered here. I filled out a complaint with USPS and just heard from them this morning. They are confused, because my carrier did not leave USPS until 12:25pm! Yet my 777 was delivered over an hour before.

They are looking into it, but my fear is that someone is enjoying my 777 right now!!!

As far as I can tell, this new 'Chinese' seller that is now Stateside, did a great job.

Although, I guess he could have written the address down wrong???

Updates and photos to follow once I.... If I get the 777!
 

JLF

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Well... just a tracking number, which seems to be legit, although I just spoke with the local Post Master and she is massively confused, as there is no 'origination scan' for this package. They are digging deeper.

I asked her how difficult it would be to scam USPS into thinking something was shipped with a legit tracking number, but never send the package.

She believed it would be next to impossible.

:huh:
 

MasterBlaster84

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May 6, 2009
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Ira just went through this and it's a scam, a fairly effective scam from what it appears.

There have been a few dozen of these "too good to pass up" auctions lately, I think a thief has come up with an easy way to scam eBay. It's not hard to spot these auctions as the sellers are new and have only a hand full of worthless feedbacks at best yet they are listing boomers at very low prices that are to tempting to pass up.
 

redbenjoe

I Am Legend
May 6, 2009
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:annoyed: :annoyed: :annoyed:

exact same 'fake' tracking -
and now --
6 weeks later -
the P.O. inspectors have found NOTHING !!!! :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:
 

JLF

Member (SA)
May 6, 2009
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Im on the phone with ebay now attempting to alert them to this scam.

How on Earth can they fake a tracking number?!

I used the Paypal 'Bill Me Later', so hopefully I have some protection. Although Ive never had to go through the process.

Sheesh!

:annoyed:
 

Fatdog

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May 3, 2009
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I found out some more information on how this scam works. It's actually been going on for several years.

1) Seller has a "too-good-to-be-true" auction on eBay.

2) Winning bidder pays.

3) Seller sends buyer a tracking number. Because tracking numbers are only tracked to a zip code and not an actual address, the seller attaches the tracking number to a small, lightweight parcel and sends it to a fake person at a different address in the same zip code - sometimes to an address on the same street or neighborhood.

4) Tracking number eventually shows delivered.

5) Buyer usually has no recourse with eBay or PayPal because the seller can "prove" that a package was delivered.

6) Seller walks away with free money.
 

MasterBlaster84

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May 6, 2009
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JLF said:
How on Earth can they fake a tracking number?!
That's what I'd like to know because apparently it's good enough to confuse even USPS.
The sad part is this low life bottom feeding thief will probably get away with this for a long time, maybe this human waste will never get caught. Since this is crossing state lines I would think it's also a Federal matter however it's such a low dollar amount per transaction that it will probably be ignored by all Law Enforcement. :thumbsdown:
 

MasterBlaster84

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May 6, 2009
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Fatdog said:
I found out some more information on how this scam works. It's actually been going on for several years.

1) Seller has a "too-good-to-be-true" auction on eBay.

2) Winning bidder pays.

3) Seller sends buyer a tracking number. Because tracking numbers are only tracked to a zip code and not an actual address, the seller attaches the tracking number to a small, lightweight parcel and sends it to a fake person at a different address in the same zip code - sometimes to an address on the same street or neighborhood.

4) Tracking number eventually shows delivered.

5) Buyer usually has no recourse with eBay or PayPal because the seller can "prove" that a package was delivered.

6) Seller walks away with free money.
Good info Bobby and proof that the system is still seriously flawed. :thumbsdown:
 

Jwrok707

Member (SA)
Nov 24, 2010
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What was Name of seller? I got scammed a few months ago but got my money back........Thankfully I used paypal. EPAY granted me full refund.
The details of what happened to you sounds similar to what happened to me!

GOOD LUCK
 

Mrs. Fatdog

Member (SA)
Jul 13, 2011
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Seems like you guys should pay the extra whatever for signature verification. Don't mean to be snarky. But if I am shelling more than $50 to anyone, better darn well come with everything that the PO has to ensure that I get my package.
 

JLF

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May 6, 2009
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Seller info
Member id findmong3 ( Feedback Score Of 0 )

Guys, thank you so much for the explanation of how this scam works!

Ive just read it entirely to the Paypal investigator!

Because the purchase was over $250, it requires some form of signature. Therefore, the seller has 10 days to come up with a mint 777 or I get my money fully refunded.

I am now being connected back with ebay as per Paypal with instructions to specifically say, 'I want to open a COMPLAINT on seller.' I guess somehow this makes a difference than merely openning a case.
 

JLF

Member (SA)
May 6, 2009
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Update.

Ebay and Paypal both have nearly begged me to contact ic3.gov

This means the Government will now have a record of this scam.

To all here who have had this happen recently, I'd ask that you do the same if you havent already!
 

MasterBlaster84

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May 6, 2009
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JLF said:
Seller info
Member id findmong3 ( Feedback Score Of 0 )

Guys, thank you so much for the explanation of how this scam works!

Ive just read it entirely to the Paypal investigator!

Because the purchase was over $250, it requires some form of signature. Therefore, the seller has 10 days to come up with a mint 777 or I get my money fully refunded.

I am now being connected back with ebay as per Paypal with instructions to specifically say, 'I want to open a COMPLAINT on seller.' I guess somehow this makes a difference than merely openning a case.
To bad the seller will or probably has already disappeared, most of these scam auctions is run different usernames. Glad you'll get your money back but the sad part is we all pay for it and this thief gets away with the cash.
 

Superduper

Member (SA)
I'm virtually certain that this person is a postal employee. They can almost certainly be caught rather easily if the US Postal Inspectors would just "investigate." Remember that there are people employed by the postal service in their data centers, and their job is to work on data. Also know that each and every postal carrier has a scanner in their possession to scan items as they deliver. Most carriers just do their job. The overly clever ones have figured out the scanner back-menu which allows them to change the date/time, zip-code, etc. and they can effect scans in this manner. Of course they probably populated all the scans at one time which is why the times/dates don't always match. Ira's C-100 scan also originated from L.A. area and had impossible scans. His postmaster didn't want to follow up. But you guys should really get together and push the Postal Inspectors to investigate this thoroughly.

We need to get this guy fired and prosecuted. It's most likely the same guy perpetrating this crime. If we don't get rid of him, it's going to keep happening.

Follow through guys. This guy needs to be caught.

JLF -- you are lucky because your purchase amount was over $250. In any event, please contact, or have your postmaster open a case with the postal inspection service, and be persistent. Mention another case (Ira's) where they didn't want to follow through and now the guy is still doing it. And then mention that you think it's a postal employee.
 

JLF

Member (SA)
May 6, 2009
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I just got off the phone again with USPS and they are moving forward with this as a cyber crime. (Her words).

I believe its correct what you say about the scanners.

She told me just now, that even though there was no 'point of origin' scan on the tracking number, it was some how scanned on delivery?! According to her, 'as if it just dropped out of the sky!'

When she looked into this deeper, she noticed that it was scanned by a unit not even associated with my carrier, but another part of town; same zip code!

This person probably does work for USPS, or has access to scanner codes, etc and is using them to their advantage.
 

Fatdog

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May 3, 2009
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Mrs. Fatdog said:
Seems like you guys should pay the extra whatever for signature verification. Don't mean to be snarky. But if I am shelling more than $50 to anyone, better darn well come with everything that the PO has to ensure that I get my package.
That still doesn't guarantee anything. The seller could just take the extra $2 and still send out a fake package.
 
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