Is This a New Scam?

[W3WN]

So, about 45 minutes ago, we hear someone come up to the front porch and drop off a box. By the time I get to the front door, the Boss is bringing the box in, as the Amazon delivery truck roars away.

It's addressed to me. No return address.

Inside? A humidifier. One I never ordered. One I never even heard of before.

So, I call Amazon Customer Support to try and figure out what's going on. Based on the tracking number below the shipping bar code, they tell me I ordered it, but can't tell me when. They also can't tell me how much it cost, or what credit/debit card it was charged to. They also tell me that there's another package coming. Containing a beanie. Yeah, a beanie.

Yeah. Real helpful.

Customer service agent suggests it might be a gift from a friend or family. (Really? I doubt that). He also asks if anyone else in the household has an Amazon account, and then strongly suggests that Little Miss Field Day ordered it, probably for herself. Really? Then why is it in my name, why is there no paperwork?

I should be getting a follow-up call from a Customer Support Specialist within 24 - 48 hours, after they research this more thoroughly.

Checked the bank statement. No unusual charges; no on my account, the Boss's account, or LMFD's account. Ditto on my credit cards. So this didn't get charged to me.

Anyone ever hear of this before?

The only other thing I can think of, someone may have taken a card out in my name, but then, why ship this crap to my house? If they were planning on being porch pirates, they're SOL, not with the Boss home all day right now.

...and if Amazon wants this nonsense back, they can have it. But they're going to have to come and get it...

Thoughts?

[KG4CGC]

Get the police involved ASAP! FBI even.

[W3WN]

Get the police involved ASAP! FBI even.
Can’t. They’re busy looking for red ballots.

[WZ7U]

Weird, and strangely disturbing.

The package, not the wild goose chase the cops are on. That I would expect from Cheato Mussolini.

[K4PIH]

So I had a similar incident a few months back. Heard the truck, by the time I got to the porch he was gone. Left a package with my name and nothing else. Turned out it was a porch pirate drop off. Nothing on my cards I was just the drop point. Someone was supposed to sneak up and grab it and haul ass. They didn't do their map check they would have seen I live in the sticks! The UPS guy came back and took the package back to the distro point. Heard no more about it.

[WØTKX]

I still get weird shit sent here from the previous occupants.

Two of them subscribed to online cigarettes.
Most look like bills and stuff from lawyers.

I found weird shit left from the previous occupants.

Boxes of prurient greeting cards of the S&M variety.
Spoons with looped handles in a box with new needles.

WTF was going on here?


https://youtu.be/--bcOUAtaSQ

[KG4CGC]

Can’t. They’re busy looking for red ballots.

Ron, why the snark?

[WZ7U]

I guess I'm confused. How does getting a random box rise to the level of calling cops, let alone the FBI?

I'm not surprised I don't get it.

[KG4CGC]

I guess I'm confused. How does getting a random box rise to the level of calling cops, let alone the FBI?

I'm not surprised I don't get it.

Wasn't Ron and his family the target of harassment at their home during the campaign season?

[WZ7U]

Ya know Charles, I think you're right...
Maybe Ron will expound upon this in the morning.

[W3WN]

Ron, why the snark?
That was meant to be a little joke, not snark.

[W3WN]

Wasn't Ron and his family the target of harassment at their home during the campaign season?
True, but nothing major, and nothing in recent weeks.

At this point, I’m waiting to hear back from Amazon. I’d prefer to just return these (2nd box came yesterday) and let them sort it out.

[ka8ncr]

Maybe? The hole in the system is that Amazon doesn't care what address you ship to, it just needs to be a completed order. So someone creates an account, ships it somewhere valid, then gets to leave a positive glowing review. You can't leave a review because *you* didn't order it. You can't get a return tag because you didn't order it.

They just clamped down on sellers who would ship garbage to addresses, fill out 5-star ratings and then replace the photos and product descriptions on that SKU with the product they wish to sell. I suspect what you received might be defective/returns/unsalable items. They can't change the SKU, so they'll dispose of their garbage for $45 in shipping and turn that into a 5 star review. Worse thing about it is, you can't easily dispose of that thing because of the refrigerant.

I'm pretty much done ordering from Amazon. I was shown Scotch 33+ in contractor packs, received Scotch 33+ in retail packs, which is a third less tape. Ordered other products that were clearly knock offs and counterfeit products.

[W3WN]

Hmmm. OK.

i didn’t order this stuff. It wasn’t charged to me. If Amazon doesn’t care, and won’t take it back, then it all goes to the local St. Vincent de Paul donation center.