Triangulation scam: eBay refund, then package arrives

A reddit report about a phishing scam that cost someone Amount not specified. Learn how to avoid falling victim.

So I ordered a computer off eBay a bit back for extremely cheap—around a fifth of MSRP. I was already suspicious before I purchased, but I figured since there’s a money-back guarantee, why not? So I went for it. A few days pass, and the whole time I’m messaging the seller asking if there’s any update on my product. Then one day I get a message from the seller saying: "This is fraud. I’m not a seller and someone is using my email. Sent from my iPhone." So now I’m like, wtf. I call eBay support and they tell me I should file an INR (Item Not Received) and they’d refund me. I do that and get my refund. A few more days pass and I think it’s all over. But then I check my USPS Informed Delivery and see a package from Shopify coming soon with the same shipping method the eBay listing had. I’m confused because I haven’t ordered anything except for that fake listing. I did some research and came across something called a triangulation scam—where sellers use stolen credit cards to dropship items to buyers. So now my question is: since I’m pretty sure this incoming package is fraudulent, what should I do? How can I protect myself? The only info I have about the package is the tracking number and that it’s coming from Shopify, so I’m not even sure who to contact. Should I file a police report? Contact Shopify? Something else? I really don’t want to get in trouble for something I didn’t do. Any advice would be appreciated. UPDATE: The computer did end up arriving, however the invoice was from some gaming PC website and had someone else's information on the invoice.

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1

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2

Verify sender email addresses carefully - scammers use similar domains

3

Contact companies directly using official phone numbers

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