With Christmas fast approaching and online shopping ever more popular, the number of home deliveries being made by couriers is increasing. However, the Trading Standards team would like to take this opportunity to remind residents to act on the side of caution before taking delivery of an unexpected parcel.
Over recent years various “courier” type scams have been reported. Examples include a person posing as a “courier” delivering a gift or a bunch of flowers which is accompanied by a bottle of wine. The “courier” then states that as the parcel contains alcohol, they are required to confirm the delivery was to an adult and requests that the person receiving the parcel swipes a credit card and enters their PIN into his handheld device. In the matter of minutes, the unsuspecting recipient will provide the stranger with the opportunity to clone the card and record the PIN.
Another example of a “courier” scam involves the resident returning home to find an "unable to deliver" postcard waiting for them, with instructions to call a telephone number to re-arrange delivery. But in reality no parcel exists and they may find they are inadvertently calling a ‘090’ or ‘091’ premium rate number which will result in nothing more than a large telephone bill.
Another recently reported scam involves a parcel delivered to the correct address but the addressee is unknown. A couple of days later someone turns up to collect the parcel, claiming it was intended for them but had been sent to the wrong address by mistake. This person is never seen again. However, once the parcel has been handed over, the resident who took delivery will start to receive demands for payment for its contents.
Our advice to residents would be:
- always act with caution if you receive an unexpected parcel delivery;
- most online retailers will notify you when your purchase has been shipped so you know when to expect delivery;
- check to see if the parcel is correctly addressed to you or someone else in your household;
- never provide any credit card details or payment to confirm receipt of a parcel;
- if you are in any doubt, refuse to take receipt of the delivery;
- never feel intimidated into making a quick decision just because the courier is in a hurry;
- if you receive an “unable to deliver” card, take a moment to check you are not being asked to call a premium rate number;
- if you are not expecting a delivery, do not call the number and throw the card away!
If you have any information or would like to report a possible scam, please call
Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506 or email the Trading Standards team at :
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