Do banks hold telegraphic transfers until the item is shipped out?

OK SO. It's a Sunday and the banks involved won't be giving me an answer until the weekdays, but I urgently need an answer, hence IIm here.
IIm selling off a used camera and I'm currently dealing with a person living outside of my country. He said he would transfer me the money via a TT, and I was like why not, since you can't reverse a TT, so I didn't think I d get scammed.
Then, his bank sent me an email saying that the buyer has already initiated the transfer, and the bank is holding onto the money. I will not get the money until I ship out the item and reply the bank s email with a valid tracking number. I found it extremely fishy, as any and every business operates by sending the money first then getting the item.
I occasionally sell my used items on an iPhone app and I'm a trusted seller, but I've only dealt within my country.
Please help, I need to know whether the email could be a scam.

Sounds like a scam.

Scam.

It's a scam. Banks NEVER hold transfers. You didn't get any transfer, this is a scammer trying to steal your item
Until you have the cash in hand, you NEVER ship anything