Fraud from both sides of the checkout
E-commerce fraud runs in more than one direction. Merchants deal with stolen card orders, buyers who claim an item never arrived after receiving it, return schemes, and account takeovers that redirect payouts. Sellers can also become the accused, when customers or a platform say goods were counterfeit, not as described, or never shipped, or when a business unknowingly sells stolen merchandise sourced from someone else. Platforms and payment processors apply their own rules, and their decisions can freeze funds long before any court is involved. Regulators such as the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general take interest when complaints accumulate.
Evidence a dispute will need
Order records, shipping and tracking data, delivery confirmations, device and login information, customer messages, and product sourcing documents form the core of most disputes. Keep supplier invoices and authenticity records, since questions about counterfeit or stolen goods usually turn on where the inventory came from and what you knew. Read the processor or marketplace agreement, because it sets short deadlines for responding to disputes and often requires arbitration or a particular forum. If your own account was compromised, report it to the platform and your bank promptly and change credentials, while keeping logs of the activity. Avoid deleting listings or reviews in a way that could look like hiding records.
Choosing where to push back
Some problems are handled through the platform's appeal process, some through a claim against a processor or a customer, and some require a response to a regulator or a law enforcement inquiry. The right forum depends on the amounts involved, the contract terms, and whether anyone is alleging intent to deceive. For a seller, the first review covers the account notices, the contracts, the transaction data, and any government contact. We then talk through which disputes are worth pursuing, which losses might be insured, and what changes could reduce future exposure. If someone has accused you of fraud, that question comes first, before any discussion of recovering held funds.
