08/10/2026
EBAY SCAM WARNING — PLEASE SHARE WITH THE HOBBY
We want to make everyone in the hobby aware of a growing eBay scam involving stolen credit cards and fraudulent purchases.
If you ordered something on eBay but the package arrives directly from a dealer you did not purchase from, PLEASE reach out to that dealer before assuming everything is legitimate.
There is a scam currently circulating where scammers are using stolen credit cards to purchase products from legitimate dealers, then having those products shipped to customers who placed an order through eBay.
The customer gets what they ordered, the eBay transaction appears legitimate, and the scammer walks away with the money — while the dealer gets stuck with the loss.
For the dealer, a fraudulent order can mean:
• Loss of the actual merchandise
• A credit card chargeback
• A $40 chargeback fee
• Loss of the funds from the transaction
• Shipping costs that cannot be recovered
As of today, we are approaching $2,000 in losses from this scam alone, and we have successfully identified and canceled several thousand dollars more in fraudulent attempts before they shipped.
Unfortunately, eBay does not appear to care that this is happening, even when we provide them with documentation and evidence connecting the fraudulent transactions.
The most recent scam we have identified involves chute releases, but this could easily spread to other products and dealers.
PLEASE HELP US STOP THIS.
If you purchase something on eBay and it arrives from a dealer you don't recognize, contact that dealer and let them know you purchased the item through eBay.
The dealer may be able to verify whether the order was legitimately fulfilled or whether their payment system was used fraudulently.
This isn't just a problem for one dealer. It can affect every dealer in our industry.
Please share this with your clubs, customers, vendors, dealers, and other members of the hobby. The more people who understand how this scam works, the better chance we have of stopping it.
Please pass this on and help protect our industry from fraud.
