PayPal continues to authorize charges to scam website fitbitstore.us

[LibertyOH]

Several other people have been complaining on the PayPal website about scam website fitbitstore.us.  I also fell for this lookalike website with its "Flash Sale" and like many others thought something was off after receiving an email receipt from PayPal that provided purchase details including the payment being made to an individual - "Tung <removed>" with an email address that is unresponsive . This set off alarm bells in my head - why would a company have payments made to an individual?  Today I looked further, the website was only recently registered, and all information appears to be fraudulent with regards to the registrant (phone calls to the listed number have a "busy signal").  Emails have gone unanswered to the "company" which has not provided any confirmation email regarding the "purchase" - or should I call it a swindle, no confirmation email with shipping or other information more than 2 days after the transaction. 

I have been unable to get a response addressing the situation from PayPal yet, but others have also complained about starting the dispute process while being told it will take a few weeks.  Unacceptable for Paypal to continue processing fraudulent charges days after being put on notice.  I imagine hundreds if not tens of thousands of orders have been processed.  This is ridiculous.  While the purchase was made through the website, they processed through PayPal and PayPal does not tie it to my PayPal account so unable to dispute it.

[ThereseButtercu]

After the seller provided Paypal a false tracking number for my purchase of a fitbit from “tung Trieu”, paypal seemed perfectly content to let it go and stick me for the purchase, even after UPS told me that the tracking number did NOT match my address and I related this to Paypal. Now I am seeing that Paypal already knew about this scam? This nonsense. I am ready to take Paypal to the NYS Attorney General’s office. That is unless Paypal want’s to resolve this mess. I am not happy.

[Tlebo45]

This exact same thing is happening to me right now. I called UPS and the tracking number was not valid for anything deliverec to me and PayPal refuses to reverse the charges because there is a “valid tracking number”. Unless this is resolved I will NOT be using PayPal again!

[Randy539]

Same thing happened to me... I notified them immediately of the fraudulent website and they won't do anything... In fact, they tell me that I must talk to a representative, but cry COVID and say no one is available... they did tell my credit card company that the information was legitimate, so they are in fact in cahoots with the fraud.  I am in California, so I'm thinking a class-action lawsuit may be in order with PayPal on the hook for their fraud... that is, if anyone is actually still there????

[JR2JZ]

I have experienced the exact same issue down to the T. My trust in paypal is now super low and I refuse to make any more purchase through paypal until this matter is resolved. Their actions towards this merchant should have been resolved seeing that so many paypal users have experienced the same issue with VU <removed> for creating a fraudulent fitbitstore.

[Finn1212]

I had this same scam.  PayPal actually sent me a UPS tracking number saying it was delivered.  But I filed a complaint with UPS and they told me it was delivered to a business near me.  The agent at UPS is still working on it.  My credit card company and PayPal have been no help.  UPS thinks they are stealing tracking numbers to “prove” it was delivered.  Funny thing though....according to the tracking information, this Fitbit weighed over 8 lbs.

[omathanu]

I had the same issue, UPS tracking no does not match the seller nor the delivery address. I never got the Fitbit. Tung Trieu seems to be scamming the system very well. It is really disgusting to see no action from PayPal. Paypal is trustworthy is questionable ????

[IQTech61]

I fell for the scandal too.

FitBit told me the order number given was invalid.

PayPal says that the transaction ID is invalid.

I didn't get a tracking number until just a week before my bank would have resolved my dispute in my favor.

Lesson learned. I will not use PayPal to pay for anything from any web site again.

[IQTech61]

I also got scammed. But I may have two different tracking numbers. The individual sent me one stating the package was delivered on 5/12/2020. But he sent another to the bank stating it was delivered 8/12/2020.  I've been working from home and was at home both days. I see FedEx and Amazon delivery trucks on a regular basis but not UPS. In fact, my last UPS delivery was delivered at the complex office, not my front door.

If the individual is stealing UPS tracking numbers, then it seems to me this is now a federal crime - mail fraud and quite possibly hacking. 

My credit union is sending me paperwork to dispute the delivery. If I do not receive the refund, I will be closing my PayPal account and advising everyone I know to do the same. 

[BobNC · Accepted solution]

This happened to me as well and I am also getting the same runaround from PayPal.  Whoever is behind this is actually a very accomplished crook.  I feel stupid to have fallen for it and questioned the need to pay through the PayPal store.  However, I believe that PayPal would stand behind me on a fraudulent sale which has not proven to be correct.  The crook provided a UPS tracking number that was supposedly delivered via the US Postal Service under UPS SurePost.  They even included a USPS tracking number.  However, when I run that tracking number through USPS tracking it says that the package was never provided to USPS for delivery.

This was paid on a visa card, and the charge has been placed in dispute with my bank.  I will likely also be closing our PayPal account.  I will also be passing all of the information that I have along to the Postal Inspector and PayPal can explain to the USPS why they are continuing to facilitate mail fraud.

FYI - I worked in credit and collection for 10 years and have dealt with many dishonest people.  So PayPal, if you're reading this, I'm not going away.