This is a warning for fake tracking sites.
I bid on an expensive studio recording microphone and won.
The item was in Russia.
I payed with paypal and got a tracking number.
The tracking number didn't work on any tracking site so I contacted the seller.
The seller gave me this link: russianpostalservice.cf (site doesn't exist anymore)
The site looked ok and the tracking number appeared to be working.
every now and then it had an update like : "In transit" or "cleared customs"
Then the site was offline for a few days, which is strange for a global post tracking site and I contacted the seller again.
When the site was back online I started investigating and found that it was a fake tracking site!
So I got very worried worry and opened a dispute.
After some research I found that
.cf means that the site is hosted in Central Afrika, not the country where it should be, in Russia (.ru)
All the text on the site was copied from other sites. Copy-pasting it in google made that clear quickly.
Legitimate Russian tracking numbers from other people (found in forums) that worked on the official tracking sites didn't work on the fake tracking site.
Eventually the fake tracking site said: "parcel delivered" but I hadn't received anything.
After escalating the dispute I got my money back.
Thanx Paypal 🙂
