CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Internet shoppers are used to Googling the name of online stores to make sure they aren't scams, but it turns out you might need to look up the name of a shipping tracker instead.
A website called Track678 claims to track items you order online as they travel from the merchant until they arrive in your mailbox or on your doorstep. But is it real?
THE QUESTION
Is Track678 a real tracking site?
THE SOURCES
- Tom Bartholomy, president of the Charlotte Better Business Bureau
- A universal package tracking service
- Track678
THE ANSWER
No, track678 is not a real tracking site. It's a website used by scammers to trick customers into delaying billing disputes once they realize they've been ripped off.
WHAT WE FOUND
WCNC Charlotte viewer Ned H. said he ordered T-shirts from a Facebook ad and it asked for his credit card information. An email from the company said the package had been sent out with a tracking number and a link to Track678.
When you type in the tracking number on Track678, it shows the progress of the package; however, Bartholomy said it's actually just a tool for scammers to make victims think everything's legit.
"It's one of the newest ploys scammers are using for basically setting up a real website," Bartholomy said.
He said it works as a delay tactic for fake online merchants. They want to keep you from realizing there are no goods being shipped to you and disputing the purchase on your credit card.
"That's why they are trying to wait for that time to expire and then they can keep the funds," he said.
Most credit cards allow 60 days to dispute charges, but Bartholomy said when your package is not delivered and you say something to the company you ordered from, they will sometimes make an excuse or send you another "order" and a new tracking number, starting the process all over again.
"They are not ignoring you," Bartholomy said. "They are just stringing you along."
WCNC Charlotte typed this same tracking number into a legitimate universal tracking site, which checks dozens of delivery services and couriers, and it found no information about any package with that number.
Even when you look at Track678, unlike traditional tracking sites, it doesn't let you know where your package really is using generic terms like “processing center” and “distribution center.” Typically, a tracking service will tell you the town it was last scanned while in transit.
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Bartholomy said if you ever order something online and the seller sends you to Track678 to keep up with the shipping, dispute the purchase with your credit card company immediately.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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