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Original poster

Is this a scam?

208 replies

LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 13:31

In the run up to Christmas, I ordered a few presents online for DD. As they arrived, we hid them away and unboxed and wrapped them when we got the opportunity then discreetly disposed of the boxes. DH and I didn’t buy presents for each other or DS online so all were DD’s.

On Christmas morning, DD opened all her gifts that we had bought her. However, one of the gifts clearly wasn’t for her. It was a very expensive item for an adult. To begin with, I thought DH had bought it for me, but he just looked blankly at me and said he hadn’t bought it. He did remember wrapping it, however. It is not clear from the box what was inside so that kind of makes sense.

I Googled said item and it was worth more money than DH would ever pay. It was a truly luxury item.

I put in a cupboard and forgot about it. Then last week when we were out, a woman knocked at our door saying that the parcel was hers. DS didn’t let her in but did take her number.

I called her when I got home and asked her which address it should have been sent to. Her address is miles away from us! How could this happen? Could it be a scam? How did they even get our address?

I’m happy to hand over the parcel but I am feeling very uneasy about it.

OP posts:
BrightYellowDaffodil · 13/02/2021 17:25

One odd thing though... on the receipt that she got at the time of ordering under the ‘Delivery Notes’ section it says ‘shop sent to wrong address’. But they hadn’t sent it yet.

Massive, massive alarm bell. As well as a scammer who isn't that bright Grin

LongCOVID · 13/02/2021 17:27

It's probably a scam. She (or someone associated with her) may be trying to commit fraud. Stolen card or other dodgy details. Parcel gets sent to your address, and you hand it over. Then there is no link between her and the goods - you become the only known link.

Contact the company and get them to collect it.

addicted2spaniels · 13/02/2021 17:27

No way would I hand it over. I'd contact the company she says it's from, send it back to them and let them deal with her.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Christmas General shopping
MzHz · 13/02/2021 17:29

Absolutely ignore!

We had a tv delivered to us. I had no idea what to do with it. I got a letter from the delivery co telling me they’d delivered it to previous tenant but he’s not updated his address after he’s moved. I gave it to them when they arranged to collect it.

This looks like a scam

SpringtimeBluebells · 13/02/2021 17:30

The thing is delivery drivers do make mistakes - especially with the amount of items they deliver each day... and yes it could be from away... it is possible it got mixed up with your genuine packages...

She came for it - she asked for it and so knew you had it.... you didn't give it to her. If that was my package and you kept it despite me saying a mistake had been made I would go to the police and report you for theft.

SpringtimeBluebells · 13/02/2021 17:31

It might be a scam but not always.

My ex husbands passport went to another road and they threw it away! Twits

Original poster
LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 17:31

Another interesting thing I have just noticed... when I open the screenshot of the Order Confirmation, it was taken from another phone number then forwarded. The original number is from Asia, so not even on the UK.

OP posts:
LemmysAceCard · 13/02/2021 17:32

@Tiktokersmiracle

Scam Total scam.

We had it about two years ago.
A mobile phone, top of the line iPhone no less, turned up, I was getting a few bits in for a birthday party for DP so thought it was one of those parcels.
Wasn't signed for just given to me by the delivery driver.
Got it ondoors opened it and iPhone. All the paper inside said it was ordered to our address. Not our name though.
I contacted the police who told me pack it back up and take it to the post office to be returned. We lived ages away from the main post office though so I put it to one side as I was planning a journey to the main town the next week.
Two days after, got a knock at the door. Young skinny fella in a cap.
"Yeah, can I have my iPhone please".
I said, what's your name and why did you have it sent here? "Oh, I lived here until last year and it didn't update my delivery".
I knew that was bullshit as we had lived here for a lot longer.
So I said, no sorry I don't feel comfortable, I will be sending it back.
He got very aggressive, shouting at me to give him his effing phone.
I shut the door and called the police.
Turned out, they were knowingly getting things delivered to houses on higher purchase, with good rating, collecting them as an "error" in sending and then not paying. It's then been delivered to your address which gets the black mark.
Be wary. If you were buying a luxury, expensive item you'd check and double check the address. If this address she gave sounds nothing like yours that's what she's up to
Send it back or hand it to the police.

Credit score is not based on addresses but on people. Your address will not have a black Mark, there is also no way of checking a credit rating on a property as this does not exist.
LunaHeather · 13/02/2021 17:33

@SpringtimeBluebells

The thing is delivery drivers do make mistakes - especially with the amount of items they deliver each day... and yes it could be from away... it is possible it got mixed up with your genuine packages...

She came for it - she asked for it and so knew you had it.... you didn't give it to her. If that was my package and you kept it despite me saying a mistake had been made I would go to the police and report you for theft.

Have you read all of OP posts?
BullshitVivienne · 13/02/2021 17:33

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Cherryberrypies · 13/02/2021 17:37

Could be credit card fraud. Using a different address so it can’t be traced back to them.

anniegun · 13/02/2021 17:37

Scam - you will be getting demands for payment . Probably set up a credit account using your address

InFiveMins · 13/02/2021 17:38

It is definitely dodgy OP, but I'd be inclined to give it to her just to get rid of the item...

OakSnows · 13/02/2021 17:38

@LittleEntrepeneur

One odd thing though... on the receipt that she got at the time of ordering under the ‘Delivery Notes’ section it says ‘shop sent to wrong address’. But they hadn’t sent it yet.
This one thing says it’s a scam! She’s already got the refund from the company as showing as not received, that’s why she’s waited 2 months, she s got the refund from the company and now she’s coming to you for the item. Did you have a present missing from what you were expecting?
Original poster
LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 17:39

@BullshitVivienne

What's with all the drips of information?
If you would like me to send you the screenshot via PM, I would be happy to send it to you. Just say the word.
OP posts:
OakSnows · 13/02/2021 17:40

You can’t accidentally put someone you don’t knows completely different address in and accidentally type in delivered too wrong address!

ItWorriesMeThisKindofThing · 13/02/2021 17:40

Well she’s probably scammed someone but it isn’t you. Give it to her and then let the company know what happened? It might legitimately be hers but it’s definitely not yours.

DumplingsAndStew · 13/02/2021 17:41

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JosephineBaker · 13/02/2021 17:42

I'd report it to the police, OP. It sounds very much like a scam.

Lalliella · 13/02/2021 17:42

@Tiktokersmiracle

Scam Total scam.

We had it about two years ago.
A mobile phone, top of the line iPhone no less, turned up, I was getting a few bits in for a birthday party for DP so thought it was one of those parcels.
Wasn't signed for just given to me by the delivery driver.
Got it ondoors opened it and iPhone. All the paper inside said it was ordered to our address. Not our name though.
I contacted the police who told me pack it back up and take it to the post office to be returned. We lived ages away from the main post office though so I put it to one side as I was planning a journey to the main town the next week.
Two days after, got a knock at the door. Young skinny fella in a cap.
"Yeah, can I have my iPhone please".
I said, what's your name and why did you have it sent here? "Oh, I lived here until last year and it didn't update my delivery".
I knew that was bullshit as we had lived here for a lot longer.
So I said, no sorry I don't feel comfortable, I will be sending it back.
He got very aggressive, shouting at me to give him his effing phone.
I shut the door and called the police.
Turned out, they were knowingly getting things delivered to houses on higher purchase, with good rating, collecting them as an "error" in sending and then not paying. It's then been delivered to your address which gets the black mark.
Be wary. If you were buying a luxury, expensive item you'd check and double check the address. If this address she gave sounds nothing like yours that's what she's up to
Send it back or hand it to the police.

I say scam too.

This happened to friends of mine, they had their identities stolen and the scammers were ordering phones and cards in their names and attempting to intercept their post. It was really scary, and a massive amount of hassle to sort out.

Return to sender OP

SlightlyJaded · 13/02/2021 17:43

My guess would be that she used a stolen credit card to make the purchase. Didn't want that linked to her address so picked a random location to deliver. Waited enough time to ensure that there was no repercussions and has now come to collect her purchase.

Original poster
LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 17:43

@DumplingsAndStew

You sure do keep noticing interesting things, but don't seem to be noticing the questions other posters are asking.
Please elaborate.
OP posts:
Ch3rish · 13/02/2021 17:44

@LimaFoxtrotCharlie

We have received 4 Amazon deliveries now for our address, correct postcode but the name on the parcels is not ours. Nobody on our street with that name, we’ve asked. We contacted Amazon who said we should just keep the contents. But I don’t understand why this keeps happening - surely the purchaser would check why his orders haven’t arrived? Nobody has come to the door to collect them, so I don’t see how it could be a scam.
This has happened to me, Amazon said they would email the person who ordered the item then I never heard anything more.

The customer services person said if I didn't hear anything I could keep it but it's no use to me and as the charity shops aren't open it's sitting in a cupboard, if a random woman comes round she's welcome to take it away

Lalliella · 13/02/2021 17:45

However on the other hand, while my parents were out one day their neighbours took in some beds that were delivered for them. Only they weren’t their beds! They belonged to a woman 100s of miles away with a similar name, the same house number and an identical postcode except it started with an F not an S! So it can happen. They returned to sender too though.

AdobeWanKenobi · 13/02/2021 17:46

@Bluntness100

No, I don’t want it

Well you don’t seem very keen to give it back to anyone.

And do you blame her? This is an extremely common scam, so whilst you might be happy to just hand it over OP is doing exactly the right thing by investigating further.