Hello and I'm sorry for the late response,
It's always good to do your due diligence when it comes to suspicious buyers, and I'm more than happy to help.
While it's ultimately up to you to decide whether or not you want to complete the order, there are a few tips we give to sellers to look out for whenever suspicious orders come up.
Scam artist will sometimes try to get you to use part of the credit card payment to pay a special vendor, person, or shipping company. The special instructions often involve some sort of irreversible money transfer such as a wire, Western Union, money order, or bank transfer. Never use part of a payment to send money to a third-party vendor, person, or shipping company recommended by your customer.
Here are some possible signs of fraudulent activity:
- Buyer places an order via email or phone.
- Buyer claims to be hearing impaired or in the hospital.
- Buyer places unusually large orders in a short period or insists on expedited shipping/service.
- Buyer requests international shipping.
- Buyer’s credit card is declined.
- Buyer requests order to be split between multiple credit cards.
- Billing and shipping ZIP codes don’t match.
- Buyer gives special instructions such as paying a third-party vendor, person, or shipping company.
- Buyer has a large order of goods that can be easily resold (e.g. a lot of blank t-shirts).
If you suspect a scam and are not comfortable taking payment from someone, stay calm and let the customer know you can’t accept the sale. Keep in mind that you are liable for any disputes on your account, including disputes related to fraud or scams.
I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any additional questions. Also, check out this existing thread on selling safely with Square:
Selling Safely: Interview with Connor, Square Account Services Department
