Yesterday was three days wrapped in one. I could kick myself several times, yes I fell for a scam and spent several hours on the phone. One of which I had to borrow from a neighbour we have lousy reception here in the countryside. So this is a warning. A DPD email, saying they failed to deliver a parcel, and could I pay for redelivery. So I fell down this rabbit hole like the idiot I am, because several parcels were coming. I paid by credit card, which I think has saved me. Luckily I picked it up early, as I became suspicious as my parcels arrived by the Post office at lunch time yesterday. All I can say is fraud is rife this Xmas according to my kind fraud man, and this is a popular scam.
Well one of my parcels was a tablet, small, square and shiny, at first I had difficulty setting it up, could not get away from all the foreign languages saying hi. But then with my son on the phone beside me, I lost my panicking feeling and slowly I got it right, except for sound, but I am sure I will find the right tab to tap. The one thing that got me really puzzled was the 'continental' plug, how could I use it? Of course the third steel thingyme jig could be moved changing it to British standard. Life is too clever sometimes.
I hadn't heard of a DPD scam before. Thanks for the warning. In hindsight, I expect you realised that a courier would always ask the sender for money, not the recipient.
ReplyDeleteHindsight is good afterwards ;)
DeleteThanks for the warning. Horrible the way people prey on others like this, especially at a time like this.
ReplyDeleteWretched creatures, hope they get caught.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I bought my first Windows 10 laptop several years ago the set-up was a pain. I think part of the problem is so many options that we who are unsophisticated users must wade through.
I fell for a phone sales scam many years ago--my husband later fell for one. Perhaps that taught us caution! Phone scams/nuisance calls seem to go in spates here--a week of them and after, a few days of peace.
Hi Sharon, Nowadays computers seem to setup themselves but today, the computer, phone and tablet seem to be communicating but everything went successfully in the end.
ReplyDeleteI should have been more careful, changed the password on that yahoo email for a start, the miscreants got caught on their third attempt, or at least they were turned down.
These scams are most likely to work when they coincide by chance with something you expect to happen - such as the Press 1 to stop Amazon Prime renewal when a month earlier you were tricked into taking out an Amazon Prime trial - which very nearly caught me out.
ReplyDeleteWell these rogues had that bright spark in their head. Amazon Prime is a real tricky one to dodge isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYou are not an idiot Thelma. You are a decent, law-abiding citizen whose instinct is to trust. I wish that e-mail providers, cyber-crime specialists and indeed the police would do a lot more to crush these scumbags and bring them to justice. I have reached a point where I am suspicious of every phone call and every email - even when they are from familiar sources. It should not have to be this way.
ReplyDeleteTrouble is Niall you feel like one, for not being more suspicious at the time. I can normally spot a scam at a 100 yards but not this time. Whether we will ever have 'decent' criminals is a pipe dream!
DeleteI'm glad you used your credit card, and could have the charges disposed of so quickly. I no longer think of myself as stupid, because my credit card company has bailed me out of every mistake I've made. It generally works out for them; there was a bank account they paid the money into, and the credit card company can get it right back from that account, unless it's out of money.
ReplyDeleteYes I feel rather sorry for the credit company though that is a wasted thought, they are in the business of making money. But the fraud officer, spent about half an hour telling me stuff, did not know they had a relief fund though.
DeleteI've had that one and a similar one about Amazon, its easily done when you are expecting deliveries. Another one I recently received was supposedly from the DVLA about the car. They're so realistic that its easy to think they are genuine.
ReplyDeleteWell I have only had a rather simple one from supposedly Paypal, could I please give my details that went, via the delete button. But thank you for the warnings about Amazon and DVLA.
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