How to Spot a Fake Order Before You Ship It (Checklist)

To spot a fake order before you ship it, check four things: the contact details (does the phone number work and reach a real person?), the address (is it complete and does it exist?), the order itself (is it unusually large, odd or repeated?) and the buyer's behaviour (did they confirm, answer questions, or have a history of refused parcels?). No single sign proves an order is fake, but several together usually do. Score each order with the checklist below, verify anything above a set score with a quick call or message, and ask for a small advance before shipping high-risk orders.

This article is the detailed checklist. For the full picture on reducing cash-on-delivery returns, see our pillar guide: Cash on Delivery for Social Sellers.

What counts as a "fake" order?

Not every refused parcel is a fake order. Fake orders are ones that were never going to be accepted:

Prank orders: someone orders to someone else's address as a joke or harassment
Made-up details: a name and address that don't exist
Competitor or troll orders: placed to waste your money and time
Serial refusers: people who order often and refuse most parcels
Accidental orders: a tap on "order" without meaning it (not malicious, but the same cost)

All of them cost you delivery, return charges, packing time and stock that could have gone to a real buyer.

The 15-point checklist

Give each order points for every warning sign. The points are a starting suggestion; adjust them once you've seen your own data.

Contact details

#	Check	Warning sign	Points
1	Phone format	Wrong number of digits, obviously fake (e.g. 0123456789)	3
2	Phone reachable	Doesn't ring, switched off, or never answers	2
3	On WhatsApp	Number has no WhatsApp account, in a market where nearly everyone uses it	1
4	Name	Gibberish, a single letter, a celebrity or an obvious joke	2

Address

#	Check	Warning sign	Points
5	Completeness	No house number, street or area; only a city name	2
6	Existence	Address can't be found on a map, or doesn't match the postcode or area	2
7	Type	A public place (station, market, mosque, school) for a high-value order	1

The order

#	Check	Warning sign	Points
8	Value	Much higher than your usual order, especially from a first-time buyer	2
9	Contents	Odd combination (e.g. five of the same item in five sizes)	1
10	Repeats	Several orders from the same phone or address in a short time	2
11	Source	Placed from a comment or ad with no conversation at all	1

Behaviour and history

#	Check	Warning sign	Points
12	Confirmation	No reply to your confirmation message after a reminder	3
13	Your history	Same phone or address has refused or returned parcels before	3
14	Delivery history	Delivery records (where available) show many refused parcels	3
15	Conversation	Avoids simple questions, gives different details each time, or is pushy about shipping today without confirming	1

Checks 13 and 14: search your own order list by phone number before shipping (see tracking orders in one place). In some countries, couriers or services can show a phone number's delivery history.

What to do at each score

Score	Risk	Action
0–2	Low	Confirm in writing as normal, ship
3–5	Medium	Confirm in writing and by a short call or voice note
6–8	High	Ask for a small advance (e.g. the delivery cost) or prepayment before shipping
9+	Very high	Prepaid only, or politely decline

Write your thresholds down so every team member makes the same decision.

How to verify a medium- or high-risk order

1. Check the number

Look it up on WhatsApp: does an account exist? Is there a profile name?
Search your own order list for it.
Check delivery history if that's available to you.

2. Check the address

Find it on a map. Does the street exist in that area?
If it's vague, ask for a landmark: "Could you share a nearby landmark so the courier can find you easily?"

3. Make a short verification call

Keep it friendly and quick. You're confirming an order, not interrogating anyone:

Hi, is this [name]? This is [your name] from [shop name]. I'm calling about your order for [product], [total] cash on delivery, to [area]. I just wanted to confirm everything's correct before we send it. Is that right? And is this the best number for the courier?

Real buyers confirm easily, often with extra detail ("yes, and please call before coming, I'm at work until 5"). Fake orders usually show up as no answer, a wrong person, confusion about the order, or a quick hang-up.

4. Ask for an advance, politely

Thank you for confirming! For cash-on-delivery orders over [amount], we ask for a small advance of [advance] to cover delivery. You can pay it here: [link]. The remaining [balance] is paid on delivery, and we'll ship as soon as the advance is received.

Present it as a standard policy, never as an accusation.

Real buyers who look suspicious

The checklist will sometimes flag genuine buyers. Common examples:

Gifts: a buyer orders to a friend's or relative's address under a different name.
Work addresses: an office or shop address can look like a public place.
New phone numbers: no WhatsApp yet, or no delivery history.
Busy people: no reply to a message, but they answer a call.
Large first orders: a reseller or someone buying for family.

That's why medium scores lead to a call, not a cancellation. A two-minute call keeps a good customer; an automatic rejection loses them for good.

Keep a record, but handle it carefully

Record the outcome of every flagged order: delivered, refused, cancelled, fake. Over a few months, this tells you which checks matter most in your shop, so you can adjust the points.
Keep a private internal list of numbers with repeated refusals so the next order from them gets checked.
Don't post customers' names, numbers or addresses publicly, such as in seller groups, even if you're sure they're fake. It may break privacy laws where you are, and you could be wrong. Use your own records and legitimate services instead.

Quick checklist (print or save)

Before shipping any COD order:

☐ Phone number looks valid and has been reached (message or call)
☐ Name looks real
☐ Address is complete and exists on a map
☐ Order value and contents are normal for your shop
☐ No other recent orders from the same number or address
☐ Customer confirmed the order in writing
☐ No history of refused parcels in your records
☐ Delivery history checked, where available
☐ Score calculated and action taken: ship / call / advance / prepaid

How Nodi helps

Nodi Commerce gives orders a fake-order risk score using shared courier delivery data where it's available, confirms cash-on-delivery orders on WhatsApp automatically, and keeps each customer's order and refusal history across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, your website and your shop counter, so you can see a phone number's history before you ship. Fake-order checking is included in the Growth and Scale plans. See how Nodi checks orders →

Selling in the UAE? Read Dropshipping in the UAE and Courier and Delivery Options in the UAE.

Common questions

How do I know if a COD order is fake?

Look for several warning signs together: a phone number that doesn't work or never answers, an incomplete or non-existent address, an unusually large or odd order, several orders from the same number, no reply to your confirmation message, and a history of refused parcels. One sign alone isn't proof; several together usually are.

Should I call every customer before shipping?

Not necessarily. Confirm every COD order in writing, and call only orders that score medium risk or higher on your checklist. That keeps the workload manageable and avoids bothering low-risk buyers.

Is it OK to ask for an advance on COD orders?

Yes, for higher-risk or high-value orders. Keep it small, such as the delivery cost, explain it as a standard policy for orders over a certain amount, and make paying it one tap.

Can I share fake customers' numbers in seller groups?

It's best not to. Posting people's personal details publicly may break privacy laws where you are, and genuine customers are sometimes wrongly flagged. Keep your own private records and use legitimate verification services where available.