You can follow all the rules, use all the tools, and still get blindsided by friendly fraud.
Most platforms will tell you to submit clean evidence, respond on time, and stick to policy. And that's all good advice. But what they don't tell you is how often the warning signs show up long before a chargeback hits your queue.
If you've run an online store for a while, you've probably seen some of the same patterns other merchants have flagged on forums. Friendly fraud isn't always as random as it looks on paper. In many cases, there's a trail.
Here's what platforms usually leave out.
Mismatched Emails on Gift Orders
When someone places a gift order, it makes sense for the shipping and billing names to be different. But email mismatches are a red flag that gets ignored too often.
Several merchants have reported fraud cases where the gift order used a legit-sounding billing name and address, but the account email was a throwaway Gmail with a totally different name. Sometimes the email belonged to the "gift" recipient, other times it looked autogenerated.
Platforms rarely flag these combinations as risky. But merchants who've been through too many chargebacks say this combo almost always leads to a dispute down the line.
Repeat Refund Requests from "VIP" Customers
Some customers spend big and ask for exceptions. That's normal.
But when someone who's made multiple high-ticket purchases suddenly starts asking for refunds, especially for vague reasons like "order never arrived" or "not as expected, " it's time to pay attention.
On forums, many sellers have shared stories where the same customer repeatedly pushed for refunds outside the return window, only to file chargebacks months later. The catch? Their tone was polite. They sounded loyal. And they'd even leave positive reviews in between disputes.
These customers aren't impulsive. They're calculated. They know how to look legitimate until the chargeback window opens.
Chargebacks After Discount Abuse
Another trend? Buyers who go hard on promo codes, bulk-buy discounted products, and then dispute the charge once the deal ends.
It's not always clear abuse from a platform's point of view. But if you notice a customer creating multiple accounts to use the same promo, or stacking discount codes that were clearly meant to be used once, you might want to keep an eye on their activity.
Several merchants noted this kind of behavior often precedes disputes for "unauthorized" transactions, especially on digital products or one-time sales with no return process.
Multiple Accounts, Same Address
Platforms are slow to act on this one. But sellers notice it fast.
If you see multiple accounts placing similar orders to the same shipping address, especially if the names or emails look slightly off, that could be someone trying to spread out chargeback attempts.
Sometimes it's the same customer using different credit cards. Other times, it's reshipping scams or coordinated refund fraud. Either way, disputes from these addresses often get written off as "unpreventable" by support teams.
Long Delays Between Order and Dispute
One of the more frustrating patterns is the delayed dispute.
Everything looks fine: item delivered, no complaints, and maybe even a review or follow-up message from the buyer. Then, out of nowhere, a chargeback for "unauthorized transaction" shows up 75 days later.
Platforms usually treat this as a one-off. But when you track disputes like these across multiple transactions, you'll start to see common traits. These buyers often:
- Avoid signature confirmation
- Use Gmail or iCloud addresses
- Make the purchase late at night
- Choose expedited shipping (but file a dispute well after delivery)
They're waiting for the window where your evidence feels outdated and hard to verify.
The Pattern That Platforms Miss
The reason platforms don't flag these signals is because they rely on static rules: same billing/shipping = okay, no prior disputes = low risk, chargeback volume = manageable.
But friendly fraud patterns don't always fit a checklist. They develop through behavior over time. And the merchants who catch them early aren't relying on dashboards—they're using intuition, experience, and pattern recognition.
Some are even keeping their own logs to track repeat offenders across platforms.
One Merchant's Take
"I've been selling high-end audio gear for seven years. You'd think platforms would help more with fraud, but most of the time, the best warning signs are the ones I spot myself. One guy bought $1,200 worth of gear, shipped to a business address, then filed a dispute two months later, saying he didn't recognize the charge. Turns out he'd done this to three other sellers. Same email, same excuse. No flag from the platform. But I'd seen his name before. That's how I knew."
Conclusion
Platforms aren't designed to spot friendly fraud in context. They look for black-and-white violations, not patterns. But the merchants who've seen it play out know what to watch for.
If something feels off, like mismatched details, slow-building refund pressure, or repeated odd behavior, then it probably is. Friendly fraud may look clean in a payment processor's report, but it often leaves fingerprints.
You just have to know where to look.
Worried About Catching Friendly Fraud Too Late?
Chargeblast helps merchants spot these warning signs early and respond to disputes before they spiral. We use data, not guesswork, to find what's really going on behind repeat refund requests, mismatched orders, and delayed chargebacks.
Let's help you catch friendly fraud before it becomes your next dispute.
