cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

New Mobile Phone Scam (Delivery)

Cleoriff
Level 94: Supreme
  • 122357 Posts
  • 824 Topics
  • 7457 Solutions
Registered:

There's a new scam doing the rounds (as if we haven't enough!)

 

A brand new top-of-the-range phone is delivered to your door. The package has your name on it but you don't remember ordering it.

There is another knock at the door and a courier asks for the phone back explaining: "We delivered it by mistake."

Would you hand it over? If you do, it could prove to be an expensive mistake.

It is a scam and yet another way that sophisticated thieves try to rip us off.

"Delivery scams are just one of the increasingly sophisticated methods fraudsters are using to leave victims out of pocket," warned Adam French, Which? consumer rights expert.

 

The scam involves crooks ordering and then attempting to intercept - or trick you into handing over - high-value packages.

It usually happens when criminals somehow manage to get hold of your personal details to place the order.

Read more here.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49450485

Veritas Numquam Perit

Girl in a jacket
Message 1 of 11
8,087 Views
10 REPLIES 10

TallTrees
Level 49: Rootin' Tootin' 
  • 10656 Posts
  • 119 Topics
  • 344 Solutions
Registered:

Thank you @Cleoriff 

for posting this scam, it is well worth reading and I have informed

all my family to keep parcels (never hand them back)

work out details laterrage

 



HAPPINESS IS BEE SHAPED

Message 2 of 11
7,588 Views

Cleoriff
  • 122357 Posts
  • 824 Topics
  • 7457 Solutions
Registered:

It's horrific just how sophisticated these scams are nowadays @TallTrees rage

Veritas Numquam Perit

Girl in a jacket
Message 3 of 11
7,578 Views

Mi-Amigo
Level 47: Going Places
  • 25016 Posts
  • 802 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

Dispicable scam!

And if anyone took in a parcel for a neighbour and it was collected by the scammer, they`d be dragged into this rage

animated-elephant-image-0327



Girl in a jacket


Some people see things as they are and ask "Why?"; I dream of things that never were and ask "Why not?"
Robert Kennedy.

Message 4 of 11
7,566 Views

jonsie
Level 94: Supreme
  • 92910 Posts
  • 608 Topics
  • 6913 Solutions
Registered:

I saw this on the news this morning and thanks for posting it on the community @Cleoriff 

Message 5 of 11
7,528 Views

sheepdog
Level 26: Upbeat
  • 3310 Posts
  • 31 Topics
  • 39 Solutions
Registered:

If I recall, this has been mentioned in the past somewhere on this forum or along the lines of obtaining the details then redirecting packages to a new address. 

 

As someone who's messed up a couple of parcels with sending by different couriers er, learnt by experience, its best to hold on to any deliveries and then get an RMA number/pickup even if it takes a few more days rather than hand it over. Most parcel drivers are paid by package so don't want to return anything if they can so unless the address is genuinely wrong, there shouldn't be any reason for the same courier to ask for it back. 

 

Believe me, try to refuse delivery from a Hermes driver and its like a 100m olympic final on the driveway joy

Message 6 of 11
7,497 Views

Cleoriff
Level 94: Supreme
  • 122357 Posts
  • 824 Topics
  • 7457 Solutions
Registered:

@sheepdog 

I've not heard of it before, although there has been a lot on Identity fraud. According to the BBC link I posted, it is something new(ish) which is getting worse.

 

To be honest, if the parcel has your name and address on, I'm sure alarm bells would ring if the courier came back and said Sorry we made a mistake, it's not for you. I certainly wouldn't hand it back.

 

Isn't there some postal regulation which says, if it has your name and address on it, then you are the one responsible for opening it (or it's safe keeping?)

Veritas Numquam Perit

Girl in a jacket
Message 7 of 11
7,488 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable

As I tend to manage the phones round here and noone wants or has flagship phones it should be easy to smell a rat.

While from a technical standpoint an IMEI block should stop the phone working on a mobile network and the GSM Association (the trade body that represents the mobile industry worldwide) maintains an IMEI blacklist service that operators can download updates from it isn't mandatory and in some countries the regulators are as corrupt as the crooks so you'll probably find most of these get exported.

 

Message 8 of 11
7,455 Views

jonsie
Level 94: Supreme
  • 92910 Posts
  • 608 Topics
  • 6913 Solutions
Registered:

MRob
Level 1: Joiner
  • 1 Posts
  • 0 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

I've received an email this evening - looks like someone has done this to me.

I've contacted O2 chat who have advised the fraud team will be in touch ASAP to resolve.  Hopefully they will resolve and nothing more sinister will happen. 

Message 10 of 11
7,406 Views