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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:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 13/02/2021 18:51

Who’s name was the parcel addressed to? If it was your name it’s yours.

IthinkIm · 13/02/2021 18:52

She's taken out some type of credit at your address. Phone 101 and they'll explain the scam to you if you don't believe all the posters on here.

Original poster
LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 18:52

@DobbyTheHouseElk Name was hers, but my address.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Christmas General shopping
MzHz · 13/02/2021 18:52

Scam. Scam scam scam my mcscammer

Original poster
LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 18:53

And no, she paid with a Visa credit card.

OP posts:
User7458 · 13/02/2021 18:54

OP, you need to check yours and your DHs credit files.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 13/02/2021 18:54

So you accepted a parcel with your address but not your name?

No way would I hand it over.

User7458 · 13/02/2021 18:55

The visa may be in your name

RaspberryCoulis · 13/02/2021 18:56

I think people are confusing "scam" with "criminal activity / identity theft".

How on earth is the OP being scammed - she has an item which she didn't order, hasn't paid for and isn't out of pocket for.

Some other poor sod may have had their credit card stolen or identity cloned and the thief/fraudster has used the OP's dress to have the thing delivered to.

User7458 · 13/02/2021 19:00

DH received an expensive pair of socks once that someone sent to our address using his credit card details, it was very odd but his card details had been stolen

DumplingsAndStew · 13/02/2021 19:03

You asked me to elaborate on the questions you've ignored, I compiled a list, and you're still ignoring them?

How old exactly is your baby? 🙄

pumpkintree · 13/02/2021 19:04

Tell her you sent it back and to phone the police if she has an issue. Just bin it.

northbacchus · 13/02/2021 19:07

Did you tell her you had the parcel? I'm wondering how she even knew to come to you after rather than before Christmas! You could always call your local police station and get their opinion, or action fraud maybe?

thequeenoftarts · 13/02/2021 19:07

By the sounds of the docket she is showing you, it is a replacement docket for an order already sent to the wrong address, as stated on the docket. Has it got the company details on it?

Ring the company tomorrow on the docket and ask for a manager and explain the situation to them, otherwise have her meet you at the local police station with ID, passport and utility bill and arrange for a handover there with her and your ID being noted and that way you will cover your ass. Get a reporting number too just in case you need to refer to it going forward.

Otherwise tell her the only way forward is that you will be returning the item to the company as she does not live at that address and you want no part in it at all.

Original poster
LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 19:08

@DumplingsAndStew

You asked me to elaborate on the questions you've ignored, I compiled a list, and you're still ignoring them?

How old exactly is your baby? 🙄

WTF are you talking about? I don’t have a baby 😟.
OP posts:
Eckhart · 13/02/2021 19:09

If she's ordered something from a company which hasn't been delivered to her, she needs to contact the company. It has nothing to do with you.

You ought to have sent it back when you got it really, but that doesn't mean this is your mistake or your problem to solve. Leave it be. If she contacts you, tell her that her grouse is with the company she bought the item from, not you.

livsmommy · 13/02/2021 19:10

Could it be she’s been refunded and is chancing her arm to get the item as well?!

LIZS · 13/02/2021 19:12

Wonder if that is her real name, or from a stolen card.

Gilly12345 · 13/02/2021 19:22

Sounds like a scam.

Livelovebehappy · 13/02/2021 19:22

I’ve known this to happen with eBay. The sender used a wrong address in error, the recipient didn’t receive it, contacted the seller who said which address used, and so the buyer visited the incorrect address to retrieve.

Blindstupid · 13/02/2021 19:23

Definitely sounds like a scam. No way would I be handing over a parcel. I wouldn’t have even told her I had a parcel. It’s very very odd. I would tell her you’re going to contact the company first to sort this out, then police after that if necessary. Like a pp said, she could have fraudulently got a credit card in your name.

SilverSoftlySwaying · 13/02/2021 19:27

I once sent a parcel to my my brother, think 44 instead of 4. Someone signed for it and kept them.
Area of large houses, and though I went and knocked on some doors,, I couldn’t find the house, and he never went either.
So they kept them

Original poster
LittleEntrepeneur · 13/02/2021 19:30

Her WhatsApp picture is a different ethnicity to the name on the card. The name is from a very specific country in Asia but her profile pic is not.

OP posts:
LadyWithLapdog · 13/02/2021 19:37

Sounds like a scam.

However, a couple of years ago I ordered a name necklace for my DD. It didn’t arrive for Xmas and I left it thinking it’ll take a while as custom made etc. Eventually when I checked I noticed I’d given the wrong address. I went to the other house (same road, just fat fingers on the drop down menu). I explained what it was but they hadn’t received it either. As it was a name necklace for a teenager it wouldn’t have been any use to a couple of 30-something men. (The company still sent me another one!) Mistakes happen but this sounds v odd.

ConquestEmpireHungerPlague · 13/02/2021 19:38

Oh god, this has got scam written all over it. Probably nothing she's told you is true. Now you have a copy of the despatch info, just ring the supplier, tell them you'll be reporting this to the police and ask them what they want you to do with the Luxury Gift Item. Then do it. And don't give out all your personal info to a random again ffs.