In the first 6 months of 2021 research conducted by Citizens Advice showed that more than 35 Million Brits had been targeted by scammers, and this number has only gone up in the past 2 years. Of all those targeted by a scammer, 54% of scams were related to fake deliveries or parcels. 

Scammers target the vulnerable, take advantage of human nature and exploit the good will of the general public. Scams come in all shapes and sizes, and range from a few pounds here and there to tens of thousands of pounds for the larger schemes. The one we are discussing in this blog post involves mobile phones, but what is it?

The scam itself –

It will usually begin with a person making an order via a mobile device supplier such as The Carphone Warehouse, Three or EE. The scammer is then able to access information about this customer such as their full name, their address, and their current phone number. 

They then use this information to order additional phones using the customers card details. The customer would then accept a legitimate delivery thinking that it is the phone they have ordered.

They then later receive a call from the scammer (who has actually ordered the devices with the customers money) pretending to be the mobile device provider saying ‘there was a mix up at the depot and you’ve been sent the wrong package, we’re sending a courier back so that we can return this and you will receive your device shortly’ 

What should I do in this situation? 

It is important you DO NOT hand over the goods back to them as they are not going back to the depot, but to the scammer themselves. Even if the courier who comes to collect the package is reputable or even one you recognise, do not give the package to them unless you have arranged for the return of the items yourself directly with the provider. 

The way this particular scheme works is by using legitimate means of moving the goods so the customer doesn’t expect anything is wrong. The scammer books a reputable courier with stolen card details, so neither the courier nor the customer is aware of  what is actually going on. 

If you ever think that a Scammer may be attempting to impersonate Nationwide Courier Service, please give us a call on 0115 986 5276, and we can help.

How can I avoid this? 

Be aware of suspicious calls, be hyper-vigilant and don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions if you feel the phone call isn’t legitimate, if it is legitimate then the caller should be able to answer any questions you have, if not then it is likely the caller will become defensive or agitated. Make sure you only hand private personal details, such as your address or card details over to trusted parties.

If you are unsure whether the call is from a trusted business you can always let them know you will ring them back, and then ring the verified number on their website.

 

  

 

What to watch out for – 

• Suspicious Calls 
• Mobile devices delivered to your address in your name that you did not order 
• Courier coming to your house to collect goods for return, when you have not ordered the return yourself
• Money coming out of your account that you did not approve

Overall scams can be difficult to identify because they tend to prey on somebody’s good nature, but if you stay vigilant and confident you could potentially prevent it from happening to you.

Whilst we have only mentioned mobile devices within this blog post, we have also experienced a few incidents with credit cards also, using the same premise as the mobile phones, credit cards are being ordered and then returned via courier. Stay alert, stay vigilant, stay safe