Packages arriving that I didn’t order

[Maidofdishonour]

Firstly I received a huge box of Thornton’s chocolates with no details. I’m not going to turn down free chocolate! I have just had a package turn up from Gap/Banana Republic containing two hideous children’s bobble hats and three pairs of matching mittens! The invoice has my name and address on the billing details but no indication of payment details. I have never bought anything from GAP online. No money has come out of my bank account. In theory I could take the items into a GAP store and claim £50.93 (if I wasn’t in Tier 4).
Is this some sort of scam?

Xmas presents from a relative?

Have you got kids that are bobble hat age?

Our kids are adult boys that have long-since left home.

I had this happen to me years ago OP and it was identity theft... I'm trying to remember how I found out what it was .. I would contact the stores if I were you, because it looks like they're opening accounts using your details and you need to close them down.

The chocolates suggest a secret admirer but the children's stuff is just insane! I wonder if the shop would tell you who sent them?

If they have your name and address, it's a weird one.

Unless someone who sends you gifts clicked your delivery details by mistake! Does that raise any possibilities?

That does sound likely. Pretty unnerving though

The chocolates could have been a gift but no one that knows me would send 2 children’s unicorn bobble hats and three pairs of mittens. I can email GAP

GAP won’t tell you who sent them, they can’t under data protection laws, sadly. Not even the police could get the details when I was being sent creepy presents... but do tell them. They can make contact with the account holder, which could be worthwhile if it’s an honest mistake...

Otherwise keep an eye on your credit reports just incase.

Can you open a credit account with Gap/Banana Republic? Similar thing happened to a friends sister from Next and someone was opening fraudulent credit accounts in her name. Is there a customer services number you can ring?

Sounds like identify fraud. We had the same recently and got blocked from PayPal etc. Person got onto emails and changed all the passwords but we still had access to them. I'd phone your bank and speak to them in the first instance.

Check the invoice for the chocolates carefully. I had 3 John Lewis parcels turn up a few days ago. All addressed to me. One had a very specific brand of gin that I love, the others had ciders and beers that my husband loves, so we knew they were for us but couldn't work out who had sent them. It didnt seem to give any details on the invoice. Eventually we spotted my friends detail and message written sideways in in tiny writing on the bit of the invoice you use for returns. So it's worth checking carefully.

Has anyone ever ordered for you/your family from gap? Cause some idiots forget to double check addresses and get presents sent to the wrong house I had too many wines first tbh

Its identity fraud, they will have taken out credit cards or opened credit accounts using your personel details, they send you some small non descript items that you dont challenge - ie the chocolates. Once they get the small purchases through they change the delivery address and go for larger more expensive items. Eventually you will start to get debt collectors letter through for non payment of accounts.
You need to check and keep checking your credit reports -I use clearscore and can see when companies have done a credit search (im sure other credit checking agencies will show the same).

It really does sound suspicious as we really wouldn’t have anyone order anything for us from GAP. I will make a start at changing passwords. What a pain

I read about this being a scam recently. www.google.com/amp/s/clark.com/shopping-retail/amazon-scam-brushing-warning-deliveries-you-didnt-order/amp/

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/worrying-brushing-scam-sweeping-uk-15776212.amp

www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/identity-fraud-and-identity-theft

Thank you. I have alerted my bank and signed up with Experien. Nothing on either as yet

This is a scam. They open store credit cards in your name using your address, get a small item sent to you which they hope you will just keep and not contest, then change address to their own and order large expensive items on the account in your name. You must contact both Gap and store that sent chocolates. Also notify police you suspect identity fraud. Change all of your passwords to something obscure. Inform your bank too.