Mobile phone delivery scam

[Sunnypad]

Hi
This morning I had an email message saying I was having a delivery from a phone company
I hadn't ordered anything
I refused the delivery
Contacted the mobile company who said their system was down so they can't check it

I can't log into one particular bank account to check for any odd activity but the other one seems fine
I vaguely recall hearing a lot of UK companies have their systems down today but can't see anything on the news

Any advice please? I'm hoping refusing delivery will head off problems.
It was my name on the delivery.

Thanks.

[swill453]

What do you mean "refused the delivery"? Did a courier come to your door? Or do you mean you replied to the email?

Scott.

[Dod101]

Hi
This morning I had an email message saying I was having a delivery from a phone company
I hadn't ordered anything
I refused the delivery
Contacted the mobile company who said their system was down so they can't check it

I can't log into one particular bank account to check for any odd activity but the other one seems fine
I vaguely recall hearing a lot of UK companies have their systems down today but can't see anything on the news

Any advice please? I'm hoping refusing delivery will head off problems.
It was my name on the delivery.

Thanks.

With this sort of thing, I check my bank accounts and if all is well, I just delete it from my inbox. Contact no one and do nothing else. It has never developed into anything. I think they would like to see you getting caught up in some rigmarole so that they can by chance possibly get you to disclose something useful to them.

Dod

[Alaric]

I'm hoping refusing delivery will head off problems.
It was my name on the delivery.

If you replied to the email you may have added to them by confirming that the email address is valid and active. It could be the same attempted scam as where you get a recorded message about the iphone you've ordered or the Amazon Prime membership that's about to be debited.

[bluedonkey]

By coincidence, something a bit similar happened to me today. Got a phone call from a company that supplies iphones checking my "order". The order was nothing to do with me, a scammer had got my details off the internet, posed as me and then planned to intercept delivery. The iphones supplier was wise to the scam which was why they phoned me to check the order.

Not sure how the interception would take place, perhaps an inside job with DPD etc.

[martinc]

I arrived home from work a few years ago and few minutes later there was a knock at the door, a courier with a package. I can't remember half the stuff I order online so I signed and took the package. It was an iPhone with a Vodafone SIM which I hadn't ordered. As I was puzzling what to do my landline rang and someone claiming to be from the courier company said there has been a mistake with the delivery could I leave the package on the doorstep and someone would collect it. I said I wouldn't leave a £600 phone on the doorstep and that was that.

The way the scam worked was that Vodafone would accept an order for a phone with any valid UK bank account for the Direct Debit and despatch to any address. The scammer gave my address and the bank account of a small charity, my address checked out and the bank account was valid but wouldn't accept a DD, but Vodafone wouldn't find out until they tried to take payment.

So Vodafone despatch the phone and the scammer gets the email to notify when it is delivered. They the phone me and try to collect the phone and sell it on etc.

The phone is unsolicited goods, when I told Vodafone they didn't even want me to return it (they are not even allowed to ask for it back). I still have the phone years later.

The victim here was Vodafone - I was just a drop box. I suppose that have tightened up by now but something similar may be happening to you.

[Sunnypad]

Thank you for the replies

I refused the parcel at the door, I didn't reply to the email

Checked on bank accounts, nothing there.

Since posting this, I've heard a neighbour had this happen and is trying to get payments stopped from his bank account. Bit worrying.

Am I to assume the scammer has access to my email account?

[didds]

Am I to assume the scammer has access to my email account?

have you any emails in your account regarduing this "trasnaction"?

I suspect not, and they have instead used another email account from which (as per the decription above) theyc an see you will have received the phone and would rthen attempt to retrieve it from you.

didds

[Lanark]

The phone is unsolicited goods, when I told Vodafone they didn't even want me to return it (they are not even allowed to ask for it back). I still have the phone years later.

Interesting, I didn't realise the regulations on that had changed.
It used to be that suppliers would retain ownership, but would need to arrange collection, however you had no obligation to allow them into your house or to hand the item over, but you also had no legal right to keep or use the item. A legal quagmire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsolicited_goods

[Sunnypad]

Am I to assume the scammer has access to my email account?

have you any emails in your account regarduing this "trasnaction"?

I suspect not, and they have instead used another email account from which (as per the decription above) theyc an see you will have received the phone and would rthen attempt to retrieve it from you.

didds

No, I only got an email saying it was going to be delivered. I knew I hadn't ordered a phone. Good thing it specified what it was.

I wonder what will happen when the company get the item back?

[didds]

[
No, I only got an email saying it was going to be delivered. I knew I hadn't ordered a phone. Good thing it specified what it was.

Hmmm....

the email was from whiom? being aware of spoofed emails etc ?

that does sound a bit wierder...

didds

[Sunnypad]

[
No, I only got an email saying it was going to be delivered. I knew I hadn't ordered a phone. Good thing it specified what it was.

Hmmm....

the email was from whiom? being aware of spoofed emails etc ?

that does sound a bit wierder...

didds

It was from yodel.

[Mike4]

[
No, I only got an email saying it was going to be delivered. I knew I hadn't ordered a phone. Good thing it specified what it was.

Hmmm....

the email was from whiom? being aware of spoofed emails etc ?

that does sound a bit wierder...

didds

It was from yodel.

That definitely sounds spoofy to me, how would Yodel know what is inside the package?

When I get emails (or texts usually rather than emails) from delivery companies they just say "a package" will be delivered on.....

[UncleEbenezer]

When I get emails (or texts usually rather than emails) from delivery companies they just say "a package" will be delivered on.....

Indeed, a text and often also an email with tracking details and a time slot.

That's when there's a real delivery. There are far more spoof emails for nonexistent packages. Trying to spike the victim's curiosity (and possibly fear of being charged for something or getting involved in a scam like the iphone someone mentioned up-thread) to follow a link or open an attachment.

[Sunnypad]

It doesn't say "it's a mobile"

It says "your order from xx mobile co is on it's way".

[Mike4]

No, I only got an email saying it was going to be delivered. I knew I hadn't ordered a phone. Good thing it specified what it was.

I think this must be why people think it was a mobile phone!

[gryffron]

The phone is unsolicited goods... (they are not even allowed to ask for it back).

No, it isn't. If the goods are delivered "in error" or as a result of "third party fraud" then they are perfectly entitled to ask for it to be returned - at their expense and minimum hassle to the recipient.

"Unsolicited Goods" covers the situation where a company deliberately sends you stuff you haven't asked for then demands payment for it. It was a common scam in the late 1960's, hence the 1971 Act. I have experienced charities still doing this quite recently! In that situation you are correct the goods immediately become yours unconditionally.

Gryff

[martinc]

Well as I say, I still have the phone and Vodafone wouldn't take it back.

[bluedonkey]

A further attempt has been made to use my details for a fraud. Fraudster sets up email address that looks like it is me:
firstnamelastname@mybusinessname.co.uk
In fact, I don't have an email address in that style.

Got a call from company that provides card reading facilities for businesses. My business phone number is public. They were convinced it was me who had placed the order.

[mc2fool]

A further attempt has been made to use my details for a fraud. Fraudster sets up email address that looks like it is me:
firstnamelastname@mybusinessname.co.uk
In fact, I don't have an email address in that style.

Do you own mybusinessname.co.uk? If so then it's not clear to me how them sending from or using firstnamelastname@mybusinessname.co.uk helps them, as if it doesn't exist them emails to it will bounce.

If you don't own mybusinessname.co.uk then I'd suggest you contact Nominet UK, who are the registry for .UK domain names, with a view to putting in an dispute on the domain as an abusive registration. https://www.nominet.uk/domain-support/uk-domain-disputes/

I would recommend you phone them first though to chat over the situation and see what they say: https://www.nominet.uk/contact-us/