Odd parcel delivery conundrum, can anyone explain?

[Fourcolourpens]

Hi, weird thing happened today to my dad. He received a parcel from a sports shop containing a pair of ladies trainers, he didn’t order these. The parcel was addressed to him, but had an email address that wasn’t his on the delivery note (he doesn’t have one).

I’ve occasionally ordered stuff from other shops on his behalf, so his address has been used for online shopping, but not this shop, and he doesn’t have an email address at all.

He rang the bank, no money has been taken out. He asked me to check online, I used the order number and there are another 3 items due to be delivered!

I told him to refuse the delivery if any further items are delivered, and he rang customer services, on speaker so I could listen (can’t visit, Tier 4..)

They said they couldn’t explain how my dads address got linked to this order, but it was paid for. Only advice was to return the parcel, which he has done via recorded delivery.

Is this a scam? If so what is it? The parcel was paid for, no money has been taken from my dad. If not a scam then how did his address get linked to the sports shop, who he has never ordered from before?

He took photos of the delivery slip, and noted the name of the person from customer services who he spoke to should anything go wrong but I feel uneasy still. Can any shed any light on this?

Brushing scam.

I read about those but seems to be low price items, these were £100 trainers, and the other items that were ordered total another £100... would that still be a brushing scam?

Or am I misunderstanding brushing...?

What’s a brushing scam?

And what’s the email address? Could you email them? (Or is that the scam!)

Doesn't matter what the value is. His personal details have been compromised in some way.

Personally I would change passwords on absolutely everything. Even stuff not linked to online shopping and report it to the place it came from.

I've heard of a scam where they use a false address and someone's card then visit address and say 'my mum accidentally put number 5 instead of 55 where I live, can I have my parcels please?'

I think returning to shop is the best idea all round.

He has no passwords, he doesn’t do online shopping. He doesn’t have an email address.

I’ve ordered stuff on his behalf before and had it sent to his address. I’ve checked my accounts, all fine.

I’ve set up a throwaway email address and sent an email to the address on the delivery slip. Will see if I get any response..

Was it delivered by dpd? They have history for swapping the postcode last two letters - and thus delivering to another address entirely. However this seems to happen when they put their own delivery label on - yet the delivery/receipt note inside the box has all the correct details of the correct address.
We’ve had this happen several times this year. Fortunately the household we get mixed up with are nice. We’ve swapped a lot of parcels this month.

That wouldn’t explain the name though.

www.yourmoney.com/household-bills/received-an-unexpected-delivery-it-could-be-a-brushing-scam/

www.herts.police.uk/news-and-appeals/warning-to-residents-after-series-of-delivery-scams-0066

If his name is on the open electoral register - it would be linked to his address that they have used.
Due to unusual circumstances, neither household have their names on the open register in our case. So someone did check the name was right and left it at that, assuming the address was correct when it wasn’t.

I’ve told him to keep a close eye on his account for the next few days, refuse any further parcels and send back the trainers recorded delivery.

Can’t do much else, I am just really confused about how it happened and if it is a scam, what the scam is!