One of my packages that I shipped had an invalid address according to USPS, but it passed through Shopify’s system. After checking the address out myself, it’s not listed on Google Maps. The street doesn’t even exist. The phone number they used links to a motel in California (package shipped to New York).
USPS is shipping the package back to me, but I don’t understand why Shopify didn’t catch this. Or if it’s a scam, why anyone would do this? Are they just checking to see if the card works?
Shopify can catch some address issues, but it won’t always flag every USPS problem, especially if the order/payment doesn’t look risky otherwise. I’d treat this as a suspicious order, wait for the package to come back, and avoid reshipping unless the customer can confirm a USPS-verified address. For anything that feels off, it may be worth doing a quick USPS lookup or adding an address validation app so it gets caught before fulfillment.
Hey @heatherbtd ,
It’s possible that Shopify accepted the address because its validation isn’t able to verify every address, especially if the format looks valid. USPS often performs a more detailed address check during processing, which is why it may have flagged it later.
The combination of a non existent street and a phone number linked to an unrelated motel does seem suspicious, although it could also be a customer entering incorrect information by mistake.
In situations like this it’s usually best to contact the customer and ask them to confirm their shipping address before sending the package again. If the order also shows other risk indicators, it’s worth reviewing those carefully before reshipping or issuing a refund.
Thank You !
Hi @heatherbtd
I hope your Good , I know this is classic card testing scame, and you nailed it they are checking if a stolen card works, and the fake address mismatched motel phone number is the giveaway. shopify not verified that address physically exist at checkout, so bogus but well formatted addresses slip right through. Here is step to you should follow
Go to your order, on order page check fraud analysis and if it shows medium or high risk, cancel and refund before reshipping anything, and consider turning on manual payment capture under Settings > Payments so you can review flagged orders before they ship.