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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think people should take responsibility for their own stupidity?

86 replies

Blackout234 · 19/01/2015 21:09

2 cards were hand delivered at my house about an hour or so ago, with "Jane smith" (Fake name) on both. we live at number 57 street, this was addressed to 57 way, an honest mistake.
the street it was supposed to go to was on my way to the shop anyway so i decided to go there and ask for a jane smith (to make sure i had the right place) and then hand them over, i went to the house and knocked and got no answer so went to the shop and on my way home knocked again still no answer, i took a chance and posted the cards and went home... to find that a man had come looking for the cards and spoken to my younger sister who explained that i had gone out to deliver them, he left a number for me to call, i called him when i got home and was told rather rudely that if the cards didnt go to the right place i would cough up 40 quid as there was 20 quid in each card, AIBU to think people should take responsibility for their own stupidity? I did what I thought was the right thing as there was no return address, no stamp (so obviously hand delivered), AIBU if i refuse to cough up the money if the cards never arrive?

OP posts:
HowCanIMissYouIfYouWontGoAway · 19/01/2015 21:47

Report it. The police have local alerts that people can sign up to. Recent thefts from sheds, people lurking, folks targeting elderly people etc
it would be worth them putting this out.
It needs recording, just in case

honeysucklejasmine · 19/01/2015 21:48

Who is he? I mean, is he claiming to be linked with "Jane Smith" or is he the person who posted them?

Either way, he can fuck right off. Let him get the police involved. I hear they take quite kindly to threatening behaviour. Hmm

PhaedraIsMyName · 19/01/2015 21:49

Re similar addresses I can think of several areas in Edinburgh where you could try to pull this stunt. One in particular only has about 2 names with every possible variation of "street".

SteptoeAndDaughter · 19/01/2015 21:49

Sorry OP I wasn't clear, I meant the scammer. Why would he not have knocked on his supposed daughter's door if he was going past her [your] house?

Good luck with the police!

Pipbin · 19/01/2015 21:51

A number of questions.

If you know someone well enough to give them £20, wouldn't you know where they live?
Also, why would you give them two cards, each with £20 in.

Very easy for us to say but this is very dodgy.

DeeCayed · 19/01/2015 21:53

The address might have been on the card if they intended to post them and forgot so hand delivered them, so I wouldn't find that odd in itself but asking for money? Erm no!

Tinkerball · 19/01/2015 21:53

Glad you've phoned the Police OP.

benfoldsfive · 19/01/2015 21:53

Sounds dodgy. Also he has your address and phone number? Definitely pass on to the police and include his details.

Barefootgirl · 19/01/2015 21:54

I am glad you're calling 101 - this is almost certainly a scam, and as someone else said, the last text was just to sweeten you up when he realised that you weren't going to be intimidated, and to stop you going to the rozzers ! Do report it, because he will almost certainly try and scam someone else very soon.

PhaedraIsMyName · 19/01/2015 21:54

Not hugely relevant but I do write the address on letters I hand deliver. That on itself isn't the dodgy bit.

Original poster
Blackout234 · 19/01/2015 21:56

honey- hes apparently the grandfather of 15 year old jane smith and they were apparently janes birthday cards. it does sound very dodgy, I've got someone coming out tomorrow to take a statement from my sister and I as it sounds like a scam thats been operating across my area for the last 2 months (A scam i definitely wasnt aware of)

OP posts:
Pipbin · 19/01/2015 22:00

Another question,

He has posted these cards, you have then redelivered them, he has then turned up at your house and got your number from you sister.

Assuming this is a scam, what would he have done had you been in when he came round? I wonder if he was hoping to catch you off guard with a strange man on your doorstep that you want to get rid of.

MrsTerryPratchett · 19/01/2015 22:01

Shit. I wonder how many poor buggers gave them the money Sad

honeysucklejasmine · 19/01/2015 22:02

Glad to hear. I wouldn't answer the phone or door again unless you know who it is.

Stay calm until then. The police are coming to help. Smile

Pipbin · 19/01/2015 22:04

And - as this is now a scam it seems, what about the other house?
I assume that they can't be in on the scam as it has to be the same door number and partial street name as the person being scammed.

PhaedraIsMyName · 19/01/2015 22:05

If you'd still had the cards he'd have opened them and accused you or your sister of taking the money out. Thank goodness actually you did try to deliver them.

Original poster
Blackout234 · 19/01/2015 22:08

Pipbin, maybe he assumed i would have just kept the cards? I suppose that would have been better but then again he could of accused me of taking the money. My sister wouldn't give out my number but as a compromise took his and said she'd pass it on, i gave him a call to explain thinking he was a genuine guy who had lost his granddaughters cards and mucked up his daughters address, I didn't think really. If i had stopped and thought..
"Why didn't he just knock? why were the addresses on the card? why is he so concerned about 40 quid? How does he know the cards had gone undelivered without contacting his daughter first?"... I would have just kept the cards and not gone anywhere with them so i wouldn't run into crap by just trying to help, i'll know better next time!
MTP there are little cul de sacs in my area which contain nothing but retirees and pensioners so it doesn't bare thinking about

OP posts:
PhaedraIsMyName · 19/01/2015 22:08

PipBin the other house probably has nothing to do with it and name will be made up. The scam relies on frightening the person to whom the cards were delivered just to pay up.

duchesse · 19/01/2015 22:08

It would be helpful of the police to leaflet an entire area when they know that such a scam is in operation. That way, people would know to be on their guard.

Passmethecrisps · 19/01/2015 22:08

The other house will be unaware. They will get the cards and likely chuck them out.

A quick look at a local map will give you streets which sound similar and even if only 1 in 10 re delivers it could be worth £40.

I lived in a flat with a broken security door. A common thing was people knocking and asking for "Jimmy smith" if you answered. The local police told us that they were checking who was in so they could jimmy open doors of unoccupied flats

PhaedraIsMyName · 19/01/2015 22:10

OP, I think there would have been more crap if you'd held on to the cards. He'd have accused you of opening them and he'd be on your doorstep.

RingtheBells · 19/01/2015 22:11

Good job you had reposted them, hopefully they will catch him.

Original poster
Blackout234 · 19/01/2015 22:44

or the other house may be empty, its one of the local newish builds so i dont know if anyone is in them.
Glad I didn't hand any money over though

OP posts:
Original poster
Blackout234 · 19/01/2015 22:46

is in it* not them, sorry, multitasking and i had a brain fart!

OP posts:
ShadowSpiral · 19/01/2015 22:57

Sometimes I write addresses on cards, and then realise I'm going to be passing nearby the recipients house, so hand deliver them myself. So I don't think that bit's particularly odd.

The rest of it is though. For starters, I would think that most people hand delivering a card to a friend / relatives house would have been to the house before, and would realise that they were on the wrong street before putting it through the letterbox. It's all very dodgy.