My Credit Card Was Used For Fraudulent Charges, But Then The Items Were Actually Delivered to Me. What Happens Next?

Credit card companies have safeguards in place if their users get hit with fraudulent charges. However, a unique case made its way to the front page of Reddit. 

It begins with fraudulent charges on the original poster’s credit card. Someone used the Redditor’s credit card information to buy iPhones. While the story usually ends with reporting these transactions to the credit card company and receiving a refund, it gets a lot more complex when the iPhones actually arrive at the Redditor’s front door.

Not only did the hackers make fraudulent purchases, but they also had these items shipped to the Redditor’s address. The Redditor theorized that the people who had the credit card information wanted to steal the iPhones at the front door. 

Visa called the Redditor, asking if they had made big purchases recently, and the bank also called, saying that an impersonator was pretending to be the original poster. Here’s what happened next.

The Charges Were Reversed

Visa reversed the charges on the Redditor’s credit card, so there is a happy ending in that regard. However, it’s still more complex since the Redditor still has the iPhones. The Redditor contacted Visa, and the company said that they don’t deal with packages and returns. Furthermore, the hackers didn’t create a plan with a cell phone provider, making it hard to track who made the illegitimate purchase.

The fraudsters also aimed to create cell phone accounts under the Redditor’s name, making it an official identity fraud case.  We do not know if the Redditor activated the iPhones, but the original poster said they would consider opening one of the iPhones after one month, but we do not know what happened.

While credit card theft protection is great for consumers, it’s a nightmare for merchants. Businesses endure clawbacks and don’t get compensated. It’s unknown if Apple responded to this situation, but it’s far more devastating for a small business to sell products and suddenly lose $2,000 due to fraud.

You May Have To Ship Back The iPhones

One commenter had a similar experience, but it related to Macy’s instead of Apple.

“Someone used my Macy’s account and ordered some terrible jewelry. Turns out they wanted the gift cards you get when ordering a certain amount. At any rate, I was advised by the fraud department to ship all items received back or my account would be charged. I kept following up to make sure they received it. Very nerve wracking,” the commenter responded.

It makes sense. If you use a product, the charge becomes legitimate since you are engaging with that product as a customer. While it is frustrating that you have to be the one who does all of the extra work to ensure the shipped items are returned, it’s a case of life not always being fair. Many people responded to the comment and shared that they had similar experiences when a fraudster sent products to the victim’s home.

Get A Tracking Number When You Are Returning A Fraudulent Item

Although scammers are unethical, they also tend to be intelligent. A commenter highlighted how some scammers wait for you to return a fraudulent item before making their move.

“Be careful. There are scams where the fraudsters will ship stuff to you and then try to intercept it when you send it back. They know you didn’t expect two iPhones and will be returning them. They will send you two return labels, but they aren’t actually from Verizon or AT&T. So you give them back to UPS thinking you’re done, and they end up with the phones,” an anonymous UPS worker said in the comments. 

An anonymous FedEx worker said that they saw the same thing twice. It’s not your fault that you ended up with fraudulent items, but it’s still worth paying for a tracking number to ensure the item arrives at its intended destination. If it doesn’t, you can use the tracking number to show the item’s current location.