September 17, 2024, 7:49 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Many people accept parcels on behalf of their neighbors. After all, they want to be nice and make the parcel carrier’s job easier. But this kindness can be expensive in case of doubt, warns the police.
It’s a common scenario: parcel carriers attempt to deliver ordered goods but fail to meet the recipient in person. Instead, they often ring the neighbor’s doorbell. Many of us have accepted parcels for neighbors or picked up a shipment within the building that another resident kindly received on our behalf. However, this act of kindness is exactly what scammers exploit.
The Berlin State Office of Criminal Investigation, therefore, regularly addresses citizens. Its warning is “Help your neighbor, but not the scammer.” The warning stems from a scam that can cost unsuspecting individuals a significant amount of money.
Be careful when handing out parcels to strangers
If you know your neighbors well and know who belongs to whom, you can continue to accept parcels. However, caution is advised if the delivery is made to an unknown name or the parcel is collected by an unknown person. Fraudsters readily exploit the helpfulness of the community within the household.
The scam sounds complicated, but it is simple. The fraudsters label unused letterboxes with the respective name. In one case (see below), they even misuse the identities of real neighbors. They then order online under someone else’s name or using stolen identities and enter the previously prepared delivery address where they do not live.
The parcel is sent and ends up with the delivery service, whose employees deliver it. Naturally, the recipient is not at the address due to the circumstances described. The fraudsters, therefore, rely on a friendly neighbor to accept the parcel.
They are informed of the successful delivery by the delivery service via app. All they have to do now is fish the delivery card out of the relevant letterbox and use it to collect the parcel. According to the police, in these cases, it is usually young men who ring the neighbor’s doorbell as “collectors” and demand that the parcel be handed over. When questioned about the person, their explanations are often quite creative. For example, they claim to be “a relative of the person collecting the parcel,” “the person who ordered the parcel is currently on vacation,” or “has just moved in.”
What many people don’t know: If you accept a parcel, you are also responsible for the contents. And if the scammers don’t pay for what they ordered, which is part of the scam, the friendly neighbor has to pay for the damage in case of doubt. At the very least, they must work to prove their innocence and extricate themselves from liability.
Six pairs of shoes in the neighbor’s name
Two examples from readers who contacted TECHBOOK illustrate the fraudsters’ approach. Bernd S. from Berlin was sent six high-quality Boss shoes. The goods, worth around 500 euros, were ordered on account but not by him. As Bernd S. was not at home at the time of delivery, his neighbor accepted the package. However, before the fraudsters could strike, Bernd S. emptied his letterbox. He was, therefore, able to intercept the delivery notification before the fraudsters could get hold of it. He collected the unknown goods from his neighbor and thus averted greater damage. An inquiry to the retailer revealed that an e-mail address had even been set up in his name on the Web.de mail service. He returned the shoes, and the company refrained from taking any further action.
Fraud victim Florian D. got off less lightly. He was unaware of the fraud until a letter from a debt collection agency landed in his letterbox. Apparently, a delivery had been collected from a neighbor in his name – but not by Florian D. personally. The corresponding invoice was also not paid, which is why the online retailer called in the debt collection agency. Florian D. reported the case to the police.
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As a neighbor, you could be liable for the loss
The major issue with this scam is that the online store obtains the signature of the recipient or the person accepting the parcel, which the parcel service uses as confirmation. Consequently, for any civil law claims, they become the last known and traceable recipient of the parcel. Online retailers may be able to claim damages from these persons.
According to the Berlin LKA, there has been an increase in this scam in recent years. The police’s recommendation: “Despite your willingness to help neighbors, stay vigilant, watch for unfamiliar names on mailboxes or signs of empty apartments, and alert the police or your property management company if anything seems amiss.”