Unexpected Parcel - sure it's dodgy

LadyDee

A friend received a card through the door that there was a parcel for her to either collect or re-arrange delivery. This card came through her door with the normal mail delivery addressed to "R. Smith". No such person lives at her house.

I've told her in the meantime not to collect it nor accept it if an attempt is made to get a signature, as I am sure I this is some sort of scam but just cannot for the life of me remember quite how it works. Can somebody please remind me?

The-Truth

LadyDee wrote: »

A friend received a card through the door that there was a parcel for her to either collect or re-arrange delivery. This card came through her door with the normal mail delivery addressed to "R. Smith". No such person lives at her house.

I've told her in the meantime not to collect it nor accept it if an attempt is made to get a signature, as I am sure I this is some sort of scam but just cannot for the life of me remember quite how it works. Can somebody please remind me?

Possibly a fake card and the number you call to enquire is one with a stupidly expensive rate?

DCFC79

Is there a name of who tried to deliver the parcel ?

Have you or she googled the phone number ?

shaun_from_Africa

Does the card have your friend's address or house name/number on it?
If not, it's possible that the postie or delivery company simply put it through the wrong door.

LadyDee

I'll get some more info tomorrow. Yes, the address is correct. She hasn't seen the parcel so doesn't know where it comes from. I think she said it was a RM/Parcelforce card as it came through the door with her mail.

I seem to have in the back of my mind some sort of scam involving mail order?

unholyangel

LadyDee wrote: »

I'll get some more info tomorrow. Yes, the address is correct. She hasn't seen the parcel so doesn't know where it comes from. I think she said it was a RM/Parcelforce card as it came through the door with her mail.

I seem to have in the back of my mind some sort of scam involving mail order?

Its not addressed to her so unlikely she's being targeted in a scam.

I've had similar before. Just went to post office collection bit, explained and asked to see it if it said where it was from etc (as I was awaiting quite a few packages at the time). Ended up they'd put the wrong name on the card - it was for my partner.

She doesn't really have anything to fear accepting the package though. Just if it wasn't meant for her/something she ordered, she'd only be under a duty to contact the owner to let them know, take reasonable care of the goods & make them available for collection (at her convenience and the owners/retailers expense).

molerat

Unexpected expensive item delivered to your house. Later / next day "Mr Smith" or a "courier" turns up to collect this "wrongly delivered" package. This time, if it is a proper RM ticket the scam has stumbled because the parcel was not delivered. If they are happy that it is not for them then don't collect it and it will eventually be returned to sender. If someone comes looking for the parcel tell them it has been refused delivery and it has been returned. Don't give them the card.

Ectophile

To expand a bit on molerat's answer - if you're buying goods using a stolen credit card, or stolen bank details, then you don't want them delivered to your address. That would be too easy to trace.

Instead, get the goods delivered to some unsuspecting person. Then go around to claim them, saying that they were accidentally sent to the wrong address.

That way, the seller has no idea where the goods have ended up.

vacationgirl

There's a similar story on FB whereby someone received a red/white card supposedly from The Post Office, except it didn't have the PO logo on it. If you ring the telephone number on the card apparently you will be charged £45!

Geoff1963

I've told her in the meantime not to collect it

I think to do so, she would have to show identification in the name of R.Smith.
The delivery office might not even let her see it.

It might be possible to "arrange delivery" to look at it ( to see any sender details ) ; then say, "Oh, that's not my name", so they take it away again.

It might of course be a shipment of drugs etc. ( hidden in an innocent object ) which is then to be collected in person ; so best if it is returned, then the tracking will show "not delivered". If anyone calls, the friend can say they mislaid the card, so couldn't arrange anything.

LadyDee

So expensive item bought with stolen cc, somebody calls to collect it. That's more or less what I thought it would be - just an address chosen at random. Nobody in the world would be sending her a parcel except family members, and they wouldn't put the wrong name! I felt it was wrong.

Thanks everybody.