You're right that, at first glance, it seems like everyone gets what they want — but that’s exactly why this scam is dangerous.

The key issue is informed consent and misrepresentation.

The Bitcoin buyer thinks they’re paying the Bitcoin seller (scammer) — not some random MacBook seller.

The MacBook seller thinks the person paying them is their buyer — not someone buying Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, the scammer orchestrates the whole thing without spending a cent — and receives a valuable item.

This is a classic man-in-the-middle scam. The scammer exploits trust on both sides to steal physical goods without ever paying for them.

Even if no one initiates a dispute, the MacBook seller loses because:

They ship to a scammer.

They can’t contact the real payer.

They have no way to undo the transaction or recover the item.

It's not a “proxy buying service” because neither party agrees to be part of this triangle. That’s what makes it fraud.

👉 I’m not trying to lecture anyone — just raising awareness about a scam tactic that’s been affecting people recently.

The more people recognize it, the harder it becomes for scammers to succeed