Shipping Fraud | Order Fraud

Fraud in online and mail-order commerce – Berlin economic detectives trace the perpetrators

It is well known that the internet and the connectivity of nearly all areas of life can be both a blessing and a curse—and yet this cannot easily be changed. Criminals continually invent new schemes to enrich themselves and harm others. Nationwide police statistics show that in 2015 alone, 730,000 cases of goods and goods credit fraud were recorded, with a notable 76% resolved—including cases investigated by Aaden Detective Agency Berlin: +49 30 2016 9221-0.

Definition of Goods Fraud

Goods fraud refers to the fraudulent sale of non-existent or severely damaged goods that, after payment, are either never shipped to the buyer or only sent inadequately, without any refund of the amount paid. In this case, the perpetrator is the seller, and the victim is the buyer.

Definition of Goods Credit Fraud

The reverse applies to goods credit fraud, in which the perpetrators purchase items without ever paying. This type of fraud is also called shipping or order fraud and harms not only the seller directly but also honest customers indirectly, since such losses are ultimately often offset through price increases. Here, the perpetrator is the buyer, and the direct victim is the seller.

Logistical Loopholes as Opportunities for Fraud

Shipping fraudsters often insist on fast delivery but want to pay by invoice or cash on delivery. The goods are delivered to a fictitious person, a forged signature is entered on the delivery note, and the fraudsters are never found at the given address. The false name makes it impossible for the shipping company to determine who is truly behind it.

 

Our detectives in Berlin handle fraud cases of all kinds every week. We follow both the digital and physical trails of the perpetrators to identify real names and locations. Even though the above-mentioned 76% clearance rate is exceptionally high compared to other crimes, it still means that one in four cases remains unsolved. Timely engagement of our private detective team in Berlin offers a solution: through observation of the delivery address, digital and physical research, and on-site inquiries, we determine the fraudsters and their true locations.

DHL Identifies “No-Go Areas” in Berlin – Private Detectives Ensure Resolution

According to Germany’s largest parcel delivery company DHL, certain areas and apartments in Wedding and the Soldiner Kiez are no longer serviced. The reason: many vacant apartments exploited by criminals for shipping fraud. By choosing a fixed delivery window and guaranteeing next-day delivery, packages are repeatedly intercepted by fraudsters who position themselves at doorsteps and pose as recipients. In reality, the recipient’s name is fictitious, and no one is registered at the given address under that name. Particularly clever fraudsters may possess fake IDs and authorizations, rent vacant apartments, attach false nameplates, and may even be present for the courier in the apartment. Anyone intending to commit fraud can unfortunately achieve this relatively easily using a variety of more or less sophisticated tricks.

 

A Factor facilitating shipping fraud is the practices of some delivery personnel: couriers receive bonuses and commissions for fast deliveries and packages that do not need to be returned to the warehouse. This creates time pressure, which is naturally detrimental to responsible identity verification. Couriers are happy to find the supposed recipient already at the building entrance. In October 2016, for example, valuable goods were ordered in the names of 50 Berlin politicians to addresses completely unknown to them and received without payment. In this “large-scale shipping fraud,” not only were goods stolen, but the reputation of the affected politicians was also partially harmed. However, victims are not powerless against such fraudsters: our Berlin economic detectives identify the perpetrators and collect court-admissible evidence, enabling victims to enforce their claims legally.

Can I Identify Fraudsters and Protect Myself?

Since one in five mail-order purchases is still made on invoice, meaning the retailer has to pay upfront, the risk of falling victim to fraud is relatively high. For private sellers and shipping portals alike, our detective team in Berlin therefore recommends sending goods only once the money has actually arrived in your own account, because even proof of transfer is often forged in order to deceive the seller. And even if you are only accepting a parcel for an alleged neighbor and later handing it over to them, caution is advised, because fraudsters often count on friendly residents who do not expect a fraudulent act. In practical terms: if you do not know the neighbor for whom you are supposed to accept a parcel, it is better not to do so. Of course, in a large apartment building it is more difficult to know all tenants than in a rural neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, but you should still keep an eye out for anything suspicious. For if a shipping fraud occurs with a parcel you accepted, you are the last known—and real—recipient and may under certain circumstances even face legal consequences.

 

If, however, you yourself have fallen victim to a fraudster and want to claim the money owed, you can contact our Berlin private detectives at any time. If commissioned promptly, our investigators are able, through research (if necessary in an undercover capacity), surveillance, or even infiltration of suspicious delivery businesses, to find out who is behind the unpaid orders and where the perpetrator or perpetrators are located. To ensure optimal handling by Aaden Economic Detective Agency LLC Berlin, it is helpful if all correspondence, via email, on the buying platforms, by SMS/WhatsApp, etc., is saved and retained, and if every clue, however small, about the fraudsters’ identity and place of residence is taken seriously and communicated.

Commissioning of Aaden Detectives in Berlin

For clarification of questions about your case, for non-binding advice regarding possible courses of action, and for the purpose of commissioning our economic detective agency in Berlin, you are welcome to contact us from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 19:00 at +49 30 2016 9221-0 or send us an email at info@aaden-detektive-berlin.de.

Aaden Detectives Berlin

Stresemannstraße 23

D-10963 Berlin

Tel.: +49 30 2016 9221-0

Fax: +49 30 2016 9221-9

E-Mail: info@aaden-detektive-berlin.de

Web: https://www.aaden-detektive-berlin.de/en

 

CEO: Maya Grünschloß, PhD

Register Court: Amtsgericht Köln

Registration Number: HRB 83824