Real or scam?

Gog

Gog

Gog

Associate
Joined
22 Jan 2006
Posts
792
Location
Sarf Landon
Just got the following email:

A.N.Other said:
Dear All,

On monday evening I went into Argos in Church Street Croydon to pay for a reserved item at the Quick Pay Till. I put my card in and it didn't seem to like my pin number, I thought no more about it and because I was in a hurry I just paid with another card (thought I couldn't remember my pin).

At home on Tuesday night there was a letter addressed to me as The Occupier. I read it and it made no sense and thought it was some sort of scam but didn't think it had anything to do with me!!

It basically said a TV had been ordered and paid for but due to 'human error' it was being delivered to me at my address. Could I kindly sign for it and keep it as they (whoever 'they' were) had then arranged for Parcel Force to collect the said item in the afternoon. As I knew I had not ordered anything I had already made up my mind I was not going to sign for anything and also instructed the other members of my household not to either.

My lodger called me in the afternoon to say Argos had tried to deliver a TV for a C W*********n but he refused saying we had not ordered anything, so they put it back on the van. Alarm bells then sounded with me as I knew I had been into Argos!

Sure enough when I rang them up, they confirmed that I or someone pretending to be me, had rung through a telephone order on the Monday evening for a TV for £769.00 (the balance I had left on my card). The scammers must have got my details from the Quick Pay Till.

They put me onto their Fraud division who are investigating. Importantly, because the item had not been signed for they were able to reimburse the money immediately. They confirmed that this is a new scam and people are ringing them up because they have discoverd items racked up on their cards and unfortunately, they had signed for the various items and only now realised (much too late) that they had paid for it from their accounts.

N.B.

If you get any similar kind of letter the criminals have already somehow got your bank/credit card details and the best thing to do is NOT to sign for any item that you know you did not order. Don not sign for things for a neighbour, unless they have specifically told you they are waiting for something (as the letter asks that if you are not going to be home then please leave details on your front door so the item can be left next-door/with a neighbour etc).

Check all your bank/credit cards to see if any large purchases have been made in the past few days. If they have, report it and cancel your cards immediately.

If you have members of your family at home during the day and have got one of these letters, tell them not to sign for anything but check who it is that is trying to deliver it.

When Parcel Force take back the item, it goes back to their Mitcham Depot. I guess that is when the scammers go and get it (how, I don't know!!). It could be crooked Argos and/or Parcel Force workers!!

Please be aware and warn all your family and friends.
Click to expand...

A few things don't seem right with this tale, but a cursory Google and Snopes search hasn't turned up anything similar.

So, denizens of OcUK, real or scam?
 
Doesn't really matter, if it's real then the catalogue company will be able to look at CCTV and see if anyone attached anything suspicious to the quick pay tills (i presume they are covered closely by CCTV).
Even so, the CC company would probably refund the money because it was unauthorised.

It sounds probably, but asking somebody to sign for something they never ordered and then give it to someone else is a little un-realistic. I mean how many people would actually do this?
If they know about the error, then why is the delivery guy still going to deliver it to you.

Also, if they have your details, why are they ordering from that same store? why not order something from elsewhere. Don't these scammers usually keep hold of your details for a month or so and then use them, or sell them on?
 
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