How do I verify that a shipping document a seller sent me is authentic and not fabricated?
Short answer: Contact the shipping or freight company directly using contact details you find independently, not the ones provided in the document itself, and ask them to confirm the shipment details match what you were told — a document that can't be independently verified through the carrier's own systems is a real concern before you release payment based on it.
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Browse Listings →Why you shouldn’t verify using contact info in the document
A fabricated shipping document can include fabricated contact details that lead back to the scammer, not the real carrier — always look up the shipping company’s contact information independently rather than trusting a phone number or email printed on the document you’re trying to verify.
What legitimate carriers can typically confirm
Most established freight and shipping companies can verify basic shipment details — tracking number validity, origin, and destination — through their own customer service or online tracking tools, independent of anything the seller told you.
What to do if verification fails
If the shipping company has no record matching the document, or the tracking number doesn’t resolve to anything, treat that as a serious red flag and hold any pending payment until you have a satisfactory explanation — this is exactly the kind of check that catches fabricated proof-of-shipment scams.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
Payments made through ScrapTrade’s escrow aren’t released to the seller until you confirm actual receipt, which reduces the pressure a fabricated shipping document is designed to create in the first place.
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