6 signs of a fake order — and how to stop them

A fake order wastes more than one parcel — it ties up staff time, courier charges and stock. If you know the warning signs, you can catch most fake orders before they ship.

Sign 1: An incomplete or odd address

Just "Dhaka" or "Mirpur", no area name, or random letters in the address — call first and get the full address.

Sign 2: The name and number don't add up

"abc", "test" or a celebrity's name in the name field, or the same digit repeated in the number — these are usually prank orders.

Sign 3: Many orders from one number in a short time

Several orders from the same number or device within minutes may be duplicates or deliberate harassment. Keep one and verify the rest.

Sign 4: A bad return history

A number that has already returned several parcels is a higher risk. Asking for the delivery charge in advance is perfectly normal here.

Sign 5: The phone is off or never answered

If you can't reach the customer after two or three tries, put the order on hold. Ship when the customer calls back.

Sign 6: An unusually large order

When a new customer suddenly orders a very large quantity or something very expensive, take part of the payment in advance.

How to stop them every day

• OTP verification: send a code to the number at checkout and match it.
• Order limit: set how many orders one number or IP can place per day.
• Fraud check: see the customer's delivery and return rate from courier history.
• Customer tags: mark repeat troublemakers with a "Fraud" tag.

In One Sales Flow all four work automatically — the risk details show right next to each order, so staff know which orders to call and verify first.