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