Possible scam?

[TWRackers]

I'm posting this for one of our rocket club members who's not on TRF. He's trying to figure out if he or someone else is getting scammed.

Over the past week or so he's started receiving packages from vendors like WalMart and Target, containing various stuff. The packages have his address and "sort of" his name, such as "Linda c/o George" (names have been changed). "George" doesn't even know a "Linda". He's contacted the vendors each time, and they've told him that the items were ordered online and paid for by someone else's credit card (NOT his). I don't know if the same account or different accounts have paid for the items shipped. Anyway, he's returned the items to their originators since he didn't order them.

We've only come up with a few theories as to what's going on. (1) Someone's trying to annoy him at their expense. (2) Someone's trying to annoy the companies, again at their expense. (3) Someone's actually trying to give him stuff at no cost to him. None of these really make much sense.

Has anyone ever run across something like this, and might be able to explain what the heck's going on? Even the local law enforcement are at a loss to explain it.

 

[rokitflite]

Any rocket stuff?

 

[TWRackers]

Originally posted by rokitflite
Any rocket stuff?

Nope.

 

[astrowolf67]

"Linda" may have stolen a credit card, or cc number, and to avoid getting caught, is sending stuff to herself, care of "George", hoping to intercept the package before "George" gets it. If I were "George", I would contact the police also. They may want to let the package set outside, and see of "Linda" shows up to pick it up while "George" isn't home.

Did any of that make sense?

 

[10fttall]

"Linda" may have stolen a credit card, or cc number, and to avoid getting caught, is sending stuff to herself, care of "George", hoping to intercept the package before "George" gets it. If I were "George", I would contact the police also. They may want to let the package set outside, and see of "Linda" shows up to pick it up while "George" isn't home.

That's a good guess. To work, it would take some dedication, and a good target house, where nobody is usually home during the day. I would say that he started receiving multiple packages because the criminal figured out he had snagged the first one. This would make it likely that the house would be watched, if documents were traced back to the vendor, and card numbers were discovered to be hot. So the perp decided to abandon all the rest of the packages that were already in transit to that particular phony pickup spot. Who knows how many items were delivered and removed prior to this time? Of course the "Linda" character is not a real name...unless the perp is a real idiot.

 

[TWRackers]

Originally posted by astrowolf67
"Linda" may have stolen a credit card, or cc number, and to avoid getting caught, is sending stuff to herself, care of "George", hoping to intercept the package before "George" gets it. If I were "George", I would contact the police also. They may want to let the package set outside, and see of "Linda" shows up to pick it up while "George" isn't home.

Did any of that make sense?

He has talked to the police already, so they know about it. Only one package had "Linda" on it, so that name is probably meaningless. If your theory is correct, then so far the plan has failed on several packages. And since he's retired, he's home most of the time when the delivery trucks come by.

I did come up with another theory since I talked to him. Perhaps someone else is using his/her own credit card account, having stuff shipped to his address, and intends to accuse HIM of identity theft or fraud. He does have an ex for whom he has very few kind words, to put it mildly. Fortunately, that wouldn't work well since he's already talked to the police. And as I said, the purchases may NOT be made on the same credit card account; I don't know if he's checked. I'll bounce these ideas off him the next time I talk to him.

 

[10fttall]

And since he's retired, he's home most of the time when the delivery trucks come by.

This is a really wierd aspect if it is a fraud going on. I would think they would have been more careful about scouting a location where nobody's home.

 

[TWRackers]

Originally posted by 10fttall
That's a good guess. To work, it would take some dedication, and a good target house, where nobody is usually home during the day. I would say that he started receiving multiple packages because the criminal figured out he had snagged the first one. This would make it likely that the house would be watched, if documents were traced back to the vendor, and card numbers were discovered to be hot. So the perp decided to abandon all the rest of the packages that were already in transit to that particular phony pickup spot. Who knows how many items were delivered and removed prior to this time? Of course the "Linda" character is not a real name...unless the perp is a real idiot.

Apparently we were typing at about the same time....

As I mentioned in my previous post, he IS home most of the time, so if this theory is correct, someone picked the wrong patsy, in my opinion. I don't think he has any information as to whether the account numbers used are hot; he may not even be able to find out from the vendors what account numbers were used. In fact, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be able to find out the account numbers, in the off chance that someone was actually sending him gifts (a secret admirer maybe).

 

[jflis]

It certainly sounds like a scam, but I sure can't figure out how it would be expected to actually work...

Sounds like a moron... (gotta hope he/she reads TRF, eh? LOL)

Reminds me of some clown they caught up here in New England...

He was arrested for counterfitting...

Get this. He would cut the corners off of a $20 bill and glue them to the face of a $1 bill and pass them off as $20's

It apparently worked most of the the time too...

Problem is, it cost him $21 for every fake $20 bill he made...

 

[jj94]

Lol. Maybe he was an alcoholic and got drunk a lot.

 

[gpoehlein]

Originally posted by jflis
Get this. He would cut the corners off of a $20 bill and glue them to the face of a $1 bill and pass them off as $20's

It apparently worked most of the the time too...

Problem is, it cost him $21 for every fake $20 bill he made...

Not really - if you have at least 50% of the bill, the Fed will exchange it for a new one. So if he took two corners off one $20, and the other two off a second $20, he could cash in the two $20s and turn a $1 into a $20 (theoretically). Of course, if I were a bank teller and this guy kept coming in with the ends of his twenties all cut off, I'd start getting suspicious!

Greg

 

[Melted_CPU]

"George" is not an Alzheimer's patient is he? jk

If I were "George" first thing I would do is get copies of my credit report from all three reporting agencies. I would then put a fraud alert on my credit just in case. The FBI has a cyber crime division he can get in touch with as well.
https://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/cyberhome.htm


There is also a scam from Nigerian involving packages:
https://www.fbi.gov/page2/april05/cyberthief040405.htm

He can always return to sender and refuse to accept the package.

Kris

 

[V'ger]

Originally posted by TWRackers
I'm posting this for one of our rocket club members who's not on TRF. He's trying to figure out if he or someone else is getting scammed.

Over the past week or so he's started receiving packages from vendors like WalMart and Target, containing various stuff. The packages have his address and "sort of" his name, such as "Linda c/o George" (names have been changed). "George" doesn't even know a "Linda". He's contacted the vendors each time, and they've told him that the items were ordered online and paid for by someone else's credit card (NOT his). I don't know if the same account or different accounts have paid for the items shipped. Anyway, he's returned the items to their originators since he didn't order them.

We've only come up with a few theories as to what's going on. (1) Someone's trying to annoy him at their expense. (2) Someone's trying to annoy the companies, again at their expense. (3) Someone's actually trying to give him stuff at no cost to him. None of these really make much sense.

Has anyone ever run across something like this, and might be able to explain what the heck's going on? Even the local law enforcement are at a loss to explain it.

This stunt has also been used to attack people and get them in trouble with authorities. This is why it’s important to NOT make public your address, telephone number, and DOB on the net.

It really shocks me to see the amount of information that is given freely by people in postings and other forums. Many people will give their family members names, birthdates, schools of graduations, work place information...

This scam could be an attack, just like where people will take all the subscription cards from magazines and sign up some unknowing victim, or subscribing a pastor to Hustler magazine in order to embarrass him to the community. Sending unsolicited porn to people and then bragging about it on newsgroups... yes it happens

Best to just make up fictitious information on the web and just PLAY along.

V'Ger