Bromley trading standards is, following a recent incident, warning residents about criminals who try to trick people into giving back high-value items that have been delivered to their home.
Criminals order a product to be delivered to your address and request you sign for it. Usually, a short time after the delivery, a second 'courier' arrives with an excuse to get the parcel back, e.g. claiming it was delivered by mistake or hadn't been scanned properly.
The parcel, in this case an expensive mobile phone, will have been ordered using the victim's details and future payments are then set up to be paid by the victim. However, if you hand over the parcel to the criminal courier, you will have no product yet still have bills to pay.
If this happens to you, don't hand over the parcel or send it to an address that you may be given. Instead, make sure to:
- Contact the retailer and arrange for the item to be directly returned to them.
- Check your credit report(s) – Credit reports: how they work and what's included – Which?
For more information on identity theft and how to protect yourself, visit the Action Fraud website.
Report and assistance
Protect yourself and others by reporting incidents.
If the crime is in progress, call Police on 999.
Otherwise, report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or www.actionfraud.police.uk.
Contact your bank on 159. 159 — Stop Scams UK.
Visit CIFAS for more information including protective registration (£25 for 2 years). Fraud Prevention for Individuals | Identity Theft Protection | Cifas
Bromley trading standards
To keep up with the latest scam alerts and warnings from Bromley trading standards sign up on www.bromley.gov.uk/TradingStandardsAlertSignUpForm.
Bromley trading standards also runs a fair-trader directory to help you find a safe, reliable trader that you can trust, visit www.bromley.gov.uk/tradingstandardschecked to learn more.