I asked ChatGPT 😂

This is actually a common type of malicious activity in e-commerce, and there are several potential reasons why someone would submit fake orders with spam IP addresses:

Testing Stolen Credit Cards

Fraudsters often use e-commerce sites to verify if stolen credit card numbers are still active

They submit small orders to check if the transaction goes through

If successful, they know the card is valid and can use it for larger fraudulent purchases elsewhere

Website Vulnerability Testing

Bad actors probe websites for security weaknesses

They submit fake orders to test how the system handles different inputs

This information can be used to plan more targeted attacks later

Server Resource Consumption

Multiple fake orders can strain server resources

This could be a precursor to a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack

It may also be used to identify server timeout limits

Data Harvesting

Submitting orders allows them to see how your system processes information

They can gather details about your checkout flow, error messages, and security measures

This information can be valuable for planning future attacks

Bot Activity

Automated bots sometimes submit fake orders across many websites

They collect information about site responses and security measures

This data gets sold on dark web marketplaces

To protect your site, consider:

Implementing CAPTCHA at checkout

Using fraud detection plugins

Setting up IP blocking for known spam addresses

Enabling address verification for payments

Monitoring order patterns for suspicious activity

The cancelled status likely means your existing security measures caught the suspicious activity, which is a good sign that your basic protections are working.

Me: Or maybe it was someone on Nostr testing checkout when you first created the site with a VPN enabled? 🤷‍♀️