Just Received an iPhone I Didn't Order

AndyCr15

AndyCr15

AndyCr15

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Joined
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Barnet, London
I was a little surprised someone was at my door this evening, I wasn't expecting any deliveries. As he handed my the small, but heavy box I checked the name and address, and they were both mine.

On opening the box I find an iPhone 16 Pro and a Sky Mobile SIM. I ordered neither...

A quick google suggests it's a scam and someone will turn up at some point saying there was a mistake with the delivery.

My plan is to call Sky Mobile in the morning, but I was wondering if anyone has any experience of such a thing?
 
Yeah, you should get a call or email from "apple" or "sky" saying there's been a mistake, sending you a packaging label and a courier will be along to collect it. Obvs the courier is the scammer.

Check your credit cards.
 
Checked them both, nothing weird on them. I'm more worried someone's set up a CC in my name and used that. I signed up to Experien and my credit score shows as 999 out of 999, but how can I see recent activity? There is a 30 day free trial which I'm tempted to start up just while this is happening.

I think I get emails from another credit check place, which I've used to see recent activity... I just can't remember who that company is :rolleyes:
 
Yup, scam.

Obvious actions worth repeating for the sake of anyone who reads this.

- Call Sky asap on a number found on their official website. Confirm you didn't order it/raise a case or whatever they need to do.
- DO NOT respond to any calls, messages, emails or people knocking on your door saying they are here to pick it up or re-arrange delivery.
- Only follow instructions directly from Sky re: returning it. Any WhatsApps, emails, arranged pickups etc you weren't aware of via Sky should be ignored.

This applies even if it's at your address but a different name. Still call them, advise no one of that name lives there and return it directly to the provider.
 
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They order a phone using your details to your address, how they get those details is varied but it's not that hard to get someones basic info.
Yes, many people fall for it because we want to be helpful to people and sometimes that switches off alarm bells in your head. They're scum.
 
The Sky chappie basically explained what has been said. "Yes, an account has been opened and we'll need to get it closed and the phone returned. Please don't hand it over to anyone turning up at your door, here is the number to call to cancel the account and arrange the sending back." Me: "Great, thanks. Are they open now?" Sky:"Yes".

Me calling the number given: "I'm sorry, we're closed now, call back in the morning."

It's just a pain in the backside. I'll be worrying all night about this now. Tomorrow is quite a busy day for me too, but now I'll have to find time to get this sorted.
 
It would make more sense if it was a one off purchase. Pay with a stolen CC, send to me, collect later. But, it has come with a SIM card? I guess it could be a PAYG, but why would you bother?

I don't think the seller will have any way of checking if the CC is your own. They will just check at the time that the account is in good standing.
 
@AndyCr15 there are 3 credit agencies

Experian - previously used by MSE but no longer
Equifax - used by Clearscore
Transunion - used by Creditkarma

Would suggest you sign up to all three, and they're free too (Experian, Clearscore, Creditkarma)
 
Oh okay, thanks.

Interesting. I just tried to sign up with Clearscore and it basically tells me to wait 72 hours and then continue. I don't know if it thinks I answered something wrong, or it's part of it's process.
 
Spoke with Cust Care this morning. They took some basic details and someone will phone one evening to sort how I send the device back. Kinda funny when he's asking me security questions about the account and of course I don't know any of it... Once he understood it all, he was very helpful. He wasn't overly clear about what had been setup. He said at one point nothing had been paid. There was clearly a bank account attached (but not mine) so whoever set it up was expecting regular payments, where you would have thought a fraudster would do a one off payment and run? I did ask if it was any way possible that it was a genuine mistake that somehow they have my details elsewhere and they got accidentally attached to this account, but he didn't really comment.
 
Now you have to figure out if the person that calls you is legit :D

Scammers will have lots of disposable bank accounts setup in fake names (or accounts that have been taken over) so they won't have been paying as they just setup the phones with those details then scarper.
 
AndyCr15 said:
The chances of the phone being blocked at some point are reasonable, which then makes me the scammer. I'm not so comfortable with that.
Click to expand...
If they didn't say anything then you received unsolicited goods and it would be perfectly legal to keep or sell it. If the phone got blocked at some point after you sold it it wouldn't be your responsibility if you are a private seller, though you could always choose to refund them.
 
No call back yet... I think at some point on Monday or Tuesday I will call them again, after that I will feel I have spent as much time as I am prepared to and I am more inclined to leave it to them. Mind you, even in a few months, maybe when the dodge account they have been given isn't paying them, I'm sure legally they are entitled to ask for the phone back, so I don't feel I can do anything with it.
 
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