Verification guide
How to Detect Duplicate Payment Fraud in Ethiopia
Duplicate payment fraud happens when a customer reuses a single valid receipt to claim multiple deliveries or refunds. It is one of the most common and least-discussed scams affecting Ethiopian merchants across retail, logistics, and e-commerce.
What duplicate payment fraud looks like
A customer pays once for an item and forwards the same Telebirr or CBE receipt to two different sellers, or presents the same proof twice to the same seller at different times. The amount and reference look real because the original payment was genuine.
Why screenshots alone cannot stop it
Screenshots can be forwarded endlessly. Only live verification against the official record with a logged history can reveal whether a reference has already been used to claim a delivery on your account.
How Check.et stops duplicate claims
Every verification on Check.et is logged with timestamp and operator identity. If the same reference is submitted again, your team history shows the earlier check immediately, making duplicate claims visible before a second delivery goes out.
Steps
- 1.Always run live verification, never rely on a forwarded screenshot.
- 2.Check your verification history before approving a second order from the same customer.
- 3.Enable team accounts so all staff share one verification log.
- 4.Export history periodically to reconcile against your order management system.
Frequently asked questions
Can the same Telebirr receipt be used twice?
The original transaction exists and passes verification both times. Only a shared history log reveals the receipt was already used for a previous claim.
Does Check.et flag duplicate verifications automatically?
Check.et logs every verification to your workspace history with timestamps and operator details. Staff and managers can see repeated references in the history before releasing a second order.
Does this affect CBE and Telebirr equally?
Yes. Any provider whose receipt can be copied and forwarded is vulnerable. Duplicate-proof workflows require logged verification history regardless of provider.