Need help UPS COD fraud

UPS check COD and Fraud= :(

[dawizard]

The deal is this I work for a online store. About a month or so ago we did a wholesale order to a guy in Philly with COD as payment. We were under the idea you couldnt cancel a Cashiers check and well now we know you can. The deal is this. We sent the package 2 of them each about 5grand UPS COD. The driver delievered the first package at 8pm the other at 12pm. The problem is the checks he recieved are bogus (no good). So we are out the 10 grand. When futher looking into the matter the business it was so called sent to never existed at the address it was sent to nor has anyone by the name it was under been at that address. Its a secured building with entrance only attainable by being buzzed in. The driver that did the deliever was on a 30 trail with UPS and shortly after the deliever was fired for reasons unknown. The UPS tracking numbers have the packages being signed for by the last name of the person they were going to.. What can I do. It seems to me that it might be the UPS driver that conducted the Fraud, and does UPS to anyones knowledge have fault in excepting fraudulent checks. Shouldnt they ask for a drivers license number or something when taking COD checks over 5 grand. Thanks

[webtress]

dawizard, Online sales are a haven for fraud and checking the order information out is the responsibility of the merchant. When we receive an order via email the customer is sent payment instructions that include "all merchandise is shipped on cleared funds". This helps to ensure that if a check is no good the only cost are the return check fees from the bank, which are considered a cost of doing business. If a customer wants something urgently then they can overnight the check. Your store needs to have stronger policies in place especially with the high cost items that you carry.

The driver that did the deliever was on a 30 trail with UPS and shortly after the deliever was fired for reasons unknown

This is possibly, but remember they can not reveal why the driver was terminated due to employment laws. Now should you find out own your own that this happened to other merchants with that driver, you can request that they step up to the plate and take responsibility (I would do this with a letter from my attorney detailing the other incidents), but they technically do not have any responsibility for you accepting bad checks. They only have a responsibility of trying to keep a lid on internal fraud situations that arise and therefore they may pay just to keep you quite. It's an expensive lesson and I hope your able to get reimbursed.

[Essex_boy]

Sounds daft but have you tried the cops?

For this sort of money Id want the guys head on a plate.

I did once deal with the FBI over a serial fraudster on ebay, 700 positives 440 negatives, the guy refunded my money.

The FBI were really helpful.

[wifi on the fly]

Bummer :(

We never do COD like that anymore. I would first start by contacting the police, but they most likely won't do a thing for you. Once that doesn't pan out, hire a private detective to track this down. If you jump on this quickly you might have a chance to get your goods back.

I have tried to get police involved with in US fraud, but most cities aren't equipped to handle Internet fraud. You say IP they say the bathroom is over in the corner.

Good luck, but pound them fast or they will be long gone and probably already are, but you never know until you start looking into it.

[JonR28]

The UPS drivers are corrupt man. Years ago I worked at a pizza place and my boss ordered Pizza Warmer to display our by the slice pizza. He ordred a $200 pizza warmer with COD as the payment option on Ebay. When the UPS guy brought it to the store my boss made the UPS guy stay there, then opened the package... decided that he did not like this pizza warmer, then gave it back to the UPS driver along with $10 to say that the order was lost in transit.

Thats messed up, you can buy off a UPS driver for $10.

[chicagohh]

I never ship COD, but I have made COD purchases that were shipped via UPS. It seemes very easy to fraud.

When I made the switch to UPS last year they would lose 1 package every 2 weeks. It was *very* frustrating so I decided to up the insurance to $200 per package. The additional cost is minimal and guess what? Since the increase in insurance UPS has *never* lost a package.

Coincidence? Maybe, but I experienced a similar situation with USPS. Delivery confirmation orders were getting lost - Signature confirmation orders were *never* lost.

I think you just have to find the sweet spot of your shipper - and stop shipping COD.