Is this some sort of scam or fraud? Received message from somebody claiming I sent them an item.

[fryeguy211]

Can anyone help me here?

About a week ago I sold an item which was delivered to the address / name I was provided.  The package was sent to a business in the attention of another person's name (Not the same person listed on the transaction.)

Today, four days later,  I receive a message from some random Ebay user who I've never done any business with claiming to be the person at that business / address with the name that was on the package but say they never ordered it.

I don't know what to make of their message so I have included it below changing the names that were used.

" Good Morning,
My name is Joe Blow, I for some reason received one of these panels on 4-18-20 from you but I did not order it. It was sent to ABC Manufacturing ATTN. Joe Blow in Wherever, WI and I also have no record of paying for it. I am not sure who actually ordered it, but I also ended up with a generator receptacle shipped from Home Depot the day before this showed up and it was ordered by a guy named Andrew. Not sure if that's who ordered your panel, but please let me know how you would like to handle getting this to the correct person or putting me in touch with the correct person so they can arrange a way to get this.
Thanks, Joe"

I don't know who this random Ebay user is that sent me this message claiming to be the person at that address I sent the package to.  As far as I'm concerned the person addressed at that business / address received their item.  I have now clue who this person is and am not going to message them back because I have no clue who they are as I never had a transaction with them.

Can anyone figure this one out?  Is this some sort of scam of fraud?

[paradiso*bella*a*venire]

Oh no, sounds like you have become an unwilling participant in the dreaded zip code scam

[paradiso*bella*a*venire]

Someone is selling something to a buyer and that buyer wont receive that something (most likely a very expensive something). Seller used your address (dont ask me how they got it, that is unknown) just so they had an address in the same zip code  so they could "prove" they shipped the item to the buyer. When buyer lodges a complaint about item not received, the seller then provides thebtracking showing it was, indeed shipped and delivered

The buyer would be out money and expensive item

[fryeguy211]

What is this zip code scam you speak of?  As far as I know I mailed the package to the person / business listed on the address.  I haven no clue who this random Ebay user is that messaged me as I never had a transaction with them.

[sg51]

A guess: this was a low value item?

I'm not sure the described "zip code scam" is widespread enough to explain this kind of event, but the event has occurred to other sellers as well.  I've been on the incoming side, receiving something I didn't order, although it wsa from a competitive sales venue.

[sg51]

Seller used your address (dont ask me how they got it, that is unknown) just so they had an address in the same zip code  so they could "prove" they shipped the item to the buyer. When buyer lodges a complaint about item not received, the seller then provides the tracking showing it was, indeed shipped and delivered

The problem with this scam is that it just doesn't scale very well.  A seller might, or might not get away with it once.  It ends up being a scam on ebay rather than buyer.  They're not likely to be taken twice.  Or even once, for significant value.

Most tracking data these days includes GPS coordinates showing delivery location, which can be drug up during investigation.

[bonjourami]

Sounds like Joe Blow may have been the recipient of the zip code scam, not you.

[fryeguy211]

So what do I do here.  I don't what to message this random Ebay user back that I never had a transaction with them.  As far as I know the Ebay user that purchased the item from me received it.

[sg51]

So what do I do here.  I don't what to message this random Ebay user back that I never had a transaction with them.  As far as I know the Ebay user that purchased the item from me received it.

I'd thank him for the report. He's trying to do the right thing.

Then I'd tell him that the item was paid for, shipped as specified by buyer, and he can accept it as a gift.

[dhbookds]

Was the name change in the payment,? I presume there was no change of address outside the original transaction.  Usually when something like this happens, it's a friend/relative sending a gift....but the item doesn't sound like a gift....unless it's a prank of some sort.   I would give Joe the original purchasers name to find out if he recognizes it. 

My thinking is the zip code scam would not have delivered something of any value to someone at a different address in the same zip code......  The seller would be trying to preclude a INR case...so he could keep the $$ and the item.  ??

[lex-talon]

Don't communicate with this J.B. character and place him on your BBL.

[alcoforever]

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@fryeguy211 wrote:

So what do I do here.  I don't what to message this random Ebay user back that I never had a transaction with them.  As far as I know the Ebay user that purchased the item from me received it.

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I wouldn't do anything.   If there is a buyer out there that has been scammed, he will open a case against the original seller, not you.

[gracieallen01]

Sounds like someone may be selling expensive things, taking payment and using you as a drop-shipper, maybe of 'anything' inexpensive to another address in the buyer's zipcode.  Don't they call that a 'Triangular something or other'?

[fryeguy211]

The name on the Paypal transaction I received was Michael. It was a mobile payment. The address that package was being sent to had a different name (Joe Blow) along with the business name (it's legit).

A never had a transaction with Joe Blow (the ebay user who sent me this message), only with Michael (the Ebay user who purchased the item from me.)

I don't what to message this Joe Blow person at all.  I never had a transaction with him, only with this Michael person who actually purchased the item from me.

I'm just confused about this whole thing and don't know what's going on.

[fryeguy211]

I don't want to communicate with Joe Blow. I never had a transaction with them.