Online shopping scam related to A*****CN tracking numbers!

Posted onNovember 22, 2024November 22, 2024Authorchinapostvolunteer

Recently, many users have reported strange problem. They purchased some expensive item with attractive price from some online seller. Then the seller shipped the goods and gave buyer an A****CN format tracking number. After waiting a couple of weeks, buyer received a notice that the parcel was delivered and credit card was charged. But  buyer never received anything.

What’s going on?

Based on our investigation, this is a classic online shopping scam. The scammer first selects a cheap, low-quality product and ships it to a random address within the buyer’s city using A****CN parcel service. Once the delivery status is marked as “delivered,” the scammer provides this physical tracking information to the credit card company to claim payment. If the buyer inquires about the non-arrival of the goods, the scammer may offer various excuses to delay or simply ignore the customer. After a certain period, the buyer ends up losing both their money and the product.

Q1: Why would the scammer bother shipping a worthless package instead of simply not shipping anything?
A1: Many credit card companies require online sellers to provide proof of shipment and delivery before releasing funds to the seller. So seller must actually ship and deliver something to an address(not necessarily buyer’s address).

Q2: Doesn’t the credit card company care where the package is actually delivered?
A2: Unfortunately, credit card companies typically use automated systems to process payments and primarily rely on tracking numbers to verify delivery. They don’t usually verify the specific delivery location or the contents of the package due to the high cost of doing so.

Q3: If I know the shipper’s address, can I ask the China police to arrest the scammer?
A3: Unfortunately, no. The shipping address often belongs to a third-party dropshipper who sells cheap products. The scammer may simply pay the dropshipper to ship the package on their behalf. In most cases, the scammer is located outside of China.

Q4: Since A****CN parcel is a China Post service, why can’t China Post prevent this kind of fraud? A4: This is essentially a credit card fraud scheme. The shipping process itself is legitimate, and the shipper may be unaware of the fraudulent activity. The real scammer is the seller who created the scam website and charged the victim’s credit card. They sell fake products, use a third party to ship the items, and then charge the victim’s credit card. It’s that simple.