By Jen Komaromi

A few years ago, I started noticing strange online orders coming into my shop. The details didn’t quite line up — mismatched names, unusual payment attempts — and after some digging, I realized I was seeing early signs of a triangulation scam. I tightened my processes, canceled suspicious orders, and thought I had it mostly under control. Then this past fall, it came back.

Another round of fraudulent orders hit, more persistent this time. Multiple credit cards were used on the same order. That familiar uneasy feeling. Weeks later, the losses showed up as chargebacks and reversed payments.

Here’s how these scams work: a scammer lists items for sale on a large online marketplace (like Amazon or eBay). When a customer buys the item, the scammer turns around and orders it from a legitimate retailer like me — using stolen credit card information — and ships it directly to the customer. The customer believes they made a normal purchase. The retailer doesn’t realize anything is wrong until long after the item has shipped.

What bothered me most wasn’t just the financial hit — it was realizing that customers are victims too. These are people acting in good faith who have no idea their purchase could later be tied to fraud, flagged accounts, or compromised information. As a local business owner in El Cerrito, I’m required to hold a business license, collect and remit taxes, and operate with real accountability. I could be audited at any time. That’s part of doing business responsibly in a community.

Many online marketplaces, however, allow third-party sellers to operate with little verification or oversight. When something goes wrong, the scammer disappears, and the impact falls on small businesses and consumers instead.

That’s why awareness matters. As consumers, we can pay attention to who we’re buying from. As business owners, we can share patterns we’re seeing and trust our instincts. And as a community, one of the simplest ways we can protect ourselves is to shop local, at businesses that are accountable, transparent, and invested in the people they serve.

Every local purchase is a vote for trust.

Jenny K. is located on Stockton Street in El Cerrito as a brick-andmortar store, but also has online sales through their website jennyk.com