1. Match the Tracking Record to Your Marketplace Order
Start with the order number, seller account, shipping address, and tracking number shown in your purchase history. A real tracking number can still belong to another shipment.
Check the Carrier’s Independent Records
Enter the number on the carrier’s official website rather than relying on a seller’s screenshot. Compare the shipment dates, destination information, and delivery photograph or signature, if available. A delivery dated before your purchase or showing a different location calls for clarification. Ask the carrier what it can confirm about delivery to your address and retain its written response or inquiry number. It may restrict information about another recipient.
Save the Record before It Changes
Capture the marketplace status and carrier history with the date, order identifier, and tracking number visible. Save earlier numbers if the seller replaces them. For effective evidence preservation, retain original emails and downloaded records alongside screenshots, keeping annotations on separate copies.
2. Document What Arrived and What Did Not
The useful evidence differs between a missing package and a package containing the wrong goods. Keep the product listing and selected variation so the comparison reflects what you actually ordered, including any disclosed substitutions or separate shipments.
If Nothing Arrived
Check the address entered at checkout, household members, building reception, and any designated delivery location. Request a carrier inquiry and preserve available doorbell footage before automatic deletion. A correct delivery followed by package theft presents a different issue from a seller supplying an unrelated tracking number. Record what you checked without claiming to know who took a package.
If the Package Contained Something Else
Photograph the outer packaging, shipping label, seals, contents, and identifying marks before discarding or returning anything. Compare the label’s tracking number with the number attached to the order. Note whether the item differs in model, quantity, or function rather than describing it only as “fake.”
| Record | Compare It with | What Remains Uncertain |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery date and location | Order date and delivery address | Whether the number belongs to this order |
| Package label | Marketplace tracking number | Whether the seller shipped this package |
| Contents and identifying marks | Listing and selected product | Whether substitution was intentional |
Delivery date and location
- Compare It withOrder date and delivery address
- What Remains UncertainWhether the number belongs to this order
Package label
- Compare It withMarketplace tracking number
- What Remains UncertainWhether the seller shipped this package
Contents and identifying marks
- Compare It withListing and selected product
- What Remains UncertainWhether substitution was intentional
3. Distinguish Fulfillment Errors from Evidence of Deception
California is the state-law jurisdiction addressed here. Under Penal Code § 484 and CALCRIM No. 1804, theft by false pretenses requires knowing deception, intent to induce transfer of possession and ownership, and a transfer made in reliance on the deception. Prosecutors must prove the required elements beyond a reasonable doubt. A failed delivery or broken promise alone does not establish an intent to deceive.
Connect Later Conduct to the Original Purchase
A tracking number supplied after payment cannot, by itself, explain why you initially paid. Preserve the listing or message that induced the purchase, then show how later delivery records contradict it. Repeatedly supplying unrelated numbers or insisting on delivery after receiving contrary carrier information may warrant investigation. Penal Code § 532(b) also imposes corroboration requirements for proving false pretenses, so supporting writings or other qualifying evidence matter. A buyer need not assemble a trial-ready case before reporting suspected fraud.
Keep Refund Requests Separate from Criminal Allegations
Ask the seller specific written questions about the shipment and preserve its answers, including any correction or refund. Platform remedies, payment disputes, and potential consumer fraud claims involve different standards from criminal prosecution. Contact the payment provider promptly rather than waiting for a police investigation. Federal credit-card billing protections differ from debit-card protections and platform policies. Describe an authorized purchase that was not delivered as agreed accurately, rather than labeling the payment itself unauthorized.
4. Prepare a Report That Explains the Discrepancy
You can report suspected internet-enabled fraud to local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3. IC3 reviews complaints and may refer information to appropriate agencies, but it does not investigate cases itself. An IC3 submission does not mean federal charges will follow. The same evidence method applies to Black Friday scams and other holiday shopping scams involving disputed delivery.
Build a Short Timeline with Supporting Files
Include the following information where available:
- Purchase date, promised goods, amount paid, and transaction identifier
- Seller profile, listing URL, contact details, and payment recipient
- Tracking numbers, carrier findings, and actual receipt details
- Seller explanations, platform decisions, refunds, and remaining loss
Separate observed facts from suspected explanations. Save a copy of your IC3 submission before closing the confirmation page. IC3 does not accept evidence attachments, so retain originals securely for any investigating agency. Filing a report does not guarantee investigation, prosecution, or repayment.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
An unresolved delivery dispute can leave practical questions about returns and seller identity.
Document the item and packaging first, then check applicable return instructions and deadlines. If an investigator has requested the physical item, ask how to handle it before shipping it elsewhere. Keep return authorization, shipment tracking, and proof of delivery if you return it.
Yes. Provide the account name, profile URL, messages, and payment identifiers you have. Label an identity as unverified rather than assuming the displayed name belongs to the person responsible.
6. Review the Evidence before Taking Further Legal Steps
If carrier findings conflict with the seller’s explanation or important records may disappear, an attorney can assess the available evidence and help organize a factual report. SJKP LLP assists fraud victims with documentation and coordination with law enforcement. Bring the order history, original communications, carrier responses, and loss calculation to discuss what additional information may be needed.
30 Oct, 2026
