So you’re sitting at home and there’s a knock on the door. A brand new top-of-the-range phone has been delivered to your house. The package has your name on it, but you don’t remember ordering it.
Then there is another knock at the door and a courier asks for the phone back explaining: “We delivered it by mistake.”
What would you do? Hand it over?
If you do, it could prove to be an expensive mistake.
According to Which?, it is a delivery scam, and yet another way that sophisticated thieves/fraudsters are trying to rip us off. The scam involves crooks managing to get hold of your personal information then placing orders for high-value devices, then the crooks will try to intercept the delivery in the street. If this fails they often pose as a courier, and try to collect the “wrongly delivered” item from your house.
What should you do?
According to Adam French, Which? consumer rights expert:
If a courier unexpectedly comes to collect an item at your home, do not hand it over.
Check their credentials and call the company they claim to be representing. If you have any fears, contact the police.
“If you receive an unexpected high-value package such as a phone, contact the retailer immediately and arrange for it to be sent back,
“Identity theft is also on the rise so if you spot any suspicious activity on your account report it to your bank immediately. Ensure personal documents such as bank statements are not left lying around, and are shredded before throwing away.”
Gillian Guy chief executive of Citizens Advice stated:
Scams like this are on the rise in the UK.
Even in this digital age, where online scams are on the rise, scammers are continuing to use traditional routes to prey on people, using tactics like doorstep selling, sending unsolicited letters and cold calling.
Unfortunately, it’s usually more vulnerable and isolated people who are affected.
The latest official figures published in the Crime Survey for England and Wales showed that there were 3.8 million fraud incidents reported in the year to March 2019.
That was up 17% over the year.
Meanwhile UK Finance reported 2.8 million cases of frauds involving UK-issued payment cards, remote banking and cheques – an increase of 39% from the previous year.
So keep a beady eye on your accounts and what is being delivered to your door.