USPS scam

Richard

Richard

Final Approach
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Ack...city life
I expected a package to be delivered by USPS Express Mail. Several hours before the package was actually delivered I received several phone calls. The calls were from someone who said they were an inspector with the county Sheriff and wanted to discuss the package they were holding because it had "odd things inside". The caller put me on speaker phone and several people did identify themselves. They then heavily implied that I could be possibly implicated if I were to accept the package if the package was determined to be suspicious. They also threatened to destroy the package if I did not give permission to open the package.

Upon delivery I discussed the phone calls with the mail lady. She said none of that made sense, the USPS have their own inspectors, the local post office would be notified well in advance of any suspicious package, and only the USPS would call, that is, no other agency would call on behalf of the USPS.

I called the Sheriff to ask if they do any work in conjunction with USPS. They do not. They suggested I call city PD if I want to make a report I called the city PD. They said there is nothing to investigate. I mentioned the caller impersonated a law officer and they did say they would destroy my package. Isn't impersonating and tampering with the mail a crime? They said, "maybe"! As yet I have been unable to further discuss this with the USPS.

I feel this certainly was a scam. I cannot tell if the caller ever had custody of the package. But how did they know a package was coming? If I should want to bust the scammer and neither the Sheriff or city PD give any relief, what other agency would I turn to?
 
Who shipped the package? My first suspicion would be the shipping department personnel there.
 
Not sure what is going on. If the package had any sort of tracking number it is a formula so they could just get a random tracking number throw it in the online tracker and see who and when the package was supposed to be delivered. No hacking necessary.
 
So what was the scam? Did they want your credit card for some reason? If they were bad people and had your package, it seems they would just take it.
 
Sounds fishy but what was the scam? You could of told them you will meet them at a quiet location, then assemble your home grown SWAT team. You could pre-position 'dog walkers', 'bench sitters' and all the rest. When they show up treat them like that Dad in FL that dealt with the perp on his own.
 
This isn't a scam, this is someone screwing with you. Sorta like kids knocking on your door and running away. They giggle and you get annoyed but it's not a scam.

You're missing key elements of a scam. Namely, the scammer has to in some way benefit and giggling doesn't count.
 
RotorAndWing said:
You should contact the Chief Counsel of the USPS and get an interpretation from him before proceeding...........
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Perhaps the postal inspectors standards and operations manual could provide a regulation someone could quote?:wink2:
 
Either the company you bought the product from has a rogue emp, or you have been hacked...the USPS does not call people. They barely get the mail delivered.
 
Call the office of Postal Inspector. They do take this kind of stuff seriously.
 
If it were me and they call back tell them to destroy the package.

How about the possibility of caller ID?
 
Richard said:
But how did they know a package was coming?
Click to expand...

I get emails all the time from "Fedex Security" or somesuch telling me about some sort of problem with my incoming package (there is no package, of course) and that I can fix everything by clicking on the pretty link provided and answering all the questions.

We're in the internet shopping age. Enough people have packages arriving that random scamming queries can be productive for criminals.

Tim
 
But there IS a real issue with crooks (usually drug runners) shipping contraband to innocent folks addresses & hoping that they can intercept the package before the addressee receives that package. The police & other agencies may be clued-in, and arrest (innocent) folks that receive the package. It has resulted in property damage, dead pets, and arrests of innocent folks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berwyn_Heights,_Maryland_mayor's_residence_drug_raid
 
For the OP; Monday, call your post office and ask them how to contact a postal inspector to report mail theft.

Whether your package was intercepted or not, it appears your address is being used for fraudulent or theft reasons. That being the case, the USPS Inspectors have jurisdiction to ensure the security of the Postal System.


Edit: you can also go here https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/...d/fraudschemes/mailtheft/ReportMailTheft.aspx and make the report.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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Caller ID did show for all three calls. The 3 calls came from 3 different phone numbers according to caller ID. I called Verizon who said two numbers were 'dummy' numbers (number which show in Caller ID but cannot receive incoming phone calls). Verizon would not release the real phone numbers or other information. The third number is a company in Phoenix which provides private security in domestic and international markets. A call to that number reveals a recording which says, "Due to customer request this number does not accept incoming calls".

Each call involved the caller at several point asking for personal information. Mostly those requests came across more like demands. Whoever it was made a good impression of law enforcement.

Last night I sent a message to the link Bill S suggested. I await a response. Tomorrow I will again attempt to contact the local post office as suggested in a letter from the mail lady.

The package was sent from a personal friend in FLA. Arrangements were made over the phone only.
 
Richard said:
Each call involved the caller at several point asking for personal information. Mostly those requests came across more like demands. Whoever it was made a good impression of law enforcement.

The package was sent from a personal friend in FLA. Arrangements were made over the phone only.
Click to expand...

Then they probably just got lucky, and you happened to be expecting a package, so it seemed legit. Imagine if they called 20 (or 40, or 100, or whatever) folks. Some will be expecting packages and might bite...others will not be expecting a package but wonder if someone sent them something unannounced and will bite...and some will be suspicious and hang up.

There are all sorts of phishing techniques to fool folks into giving up their personal data. Many of them rely on a large volume of targets and coincidence to get results.

I'm reminded of a story about a guy who gets a call with a tip on who's going to win one of the games in the first round of the NCAA basketball tourney. Confused, he just hangs up. Later, he watches the game and the caller's pick wins.

He gets another call about a game in the second round. Again, it's correct. He gets a call for the third round, and for both of the Final Four games.

All the picks are exactly right.

Before the final game, he gets another call: For $1000, he can have the name of the winning team. The guy's convinced the picks are legit, so he pays up and gets the name.

The team loses.

The scam is that the source called 64 people the first round, and gave each target a different team name. He marks off the 32 losers, and only calls the 32 winners with picks for the next round. He then ditches the next 16 losers, and keeps going.

Two of his targets will get correct picks all the way to the finals, and to them, the calls will seem like magic (especially the one who gets the Finals winner). They don't know about the 62 other people who fell by the wayside along the way.

No telling how many folks your phisher called and failed with before he hit you.
 
These scammers should all end up in jail, but I'd bet that less than 5% ever get caught, much less get convicted and serve time!:mad2: They are good phone salesmen, today it's some type of package scam, last week it was a traveling loved one injured and needing help to up get to the hospital. They just call enough people until they find a circumstance that fits their scam, once they find out you fit the profile, they phish you for information and then do feed it back to you. They can be very convincing! :mad2:
 
paflyer said:
No good can come from that.
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When he proposed asking the USPS chief counsel, he was only teasing.

It was a joke because it's frequently debated on this forum whether anyone should ask the FAA chief counsel for a ruling, and it is often claimed that the outcome of such a ruling is not what a pilot would want to hear. So he extrapolated this point of argument to a ridiculous example involving the USPS.
 
Jim_R said:
Then they probably just got lucky, and you happened to be expecting a package, so it seemed legit.

There are all sorts of phishing techniques to fool folks into giving up their personal data. Many of them rely on a large volume of targets and coincidence to get results.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying you are wrong but the problem I have is the probability of the caller being 'on target'.

So I call a database full of pilots. I bought the data with reference to pilots only. So I start calling phone numbers from that database...I got your plane out of the hanger/we got a problem in the annual condition inspection/she's all fueled up/you're in arrears in your hanger rent...each of those demands some amount of 'inside knowledge' which would act as the hook to get your attention.

Admittingly, more people would be expecting a package via USPS than those who own or operate an aircraft but in each case it is a numbers game. In each case, even dialing from a select database, that a solid hit (1X) would result from, what, thousands of calls. A monumental waste of assets is all that I conclude. One hit per thousands of attempts.... And even that one solid hit per thousand doesn't pay off (as per my case). What am I missing?

Following what Verizon told me with respect to 'dummy' phone numbers 800-999-9999 as example) I think Verizon is culpable in playing this shell game.

Still, even with robo-calls, I hardly see the payoff which would prove satisfactory for the scammer to continue. What am I missing?

P.S. I'm still awaiting a response from the fracking USPS.
 
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Jeff Oslick said:
Agreed, this sounds a lot more like you getting "punked" than scammed.
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I agree although with hesitation. As mentioned, one of the 3 numbers that was used to call me checked out to a business which provides security services. That phone number is listed to a brick and mortar business in Phoenix. Time will tell if this was scam or hoax.
Why waste your time on punk?
 
RotorAndWing said:
You should contact the Chief Counsel of the USPS and get an interpretation from him before proceeding...........
Click to expand...

I did make such contact. Surprisingly they responded rather quickly. Under duress they were able to ascertain from whom I acquired such information. I confessed it was some internet cowboy known as R&W. Surely you must have noticed a ping on your computer. No matter, they got your information. I have been informed they will inquire to your whereabouts since that hijacking to Cuba. You are being detained.
 
So what kind of a friend was involved? Any chance they're yanking your chain? Based on your description, it seems like they're the only ones with motive (a chuckle at your expense, since there was no personal data exchange or financial exchange involved in the discussion, just threats about what happens if you accept/open the package) and opportunity (they could have tracked the package and known what day it would arrive, or even if they didn't track it, could have made a good guess).

I know your caller ID numbers led you away from your friend, but he could have involved a 3rd party...
 
Jim_R said:
So what kind of a friend was involved? Any chance they're yanking your chain? Based on your description, it seems like they're the only ones with motive (a chuckle at your expense, since there was no personal data exchange or financial exchange involved in the discussion, just threats about what happens if you accept/open the package) and opportunity (they could have tracked the package and known what day it would arrive, or even if they didn't track it, could have made a good guess).

I know your caller ID numbers led you away from your friend, but he could have involved a 3rd party...
Click to expand...

This friend has the utmost in integrity. They would not ever engaged in such antics. I eagerly await a response for the USPS. That USPS has not yet answered after these many days leads me to believe they are making a serious investigation. I hope they catch the SOBs.
 
Richard said:
I'm not saying you are wrong but the problem I have is the probability of the caller being 'on target'.

So I call a database full of pilots. I bought the data with reference to pilots only. So I start calling phone numbers from that database...I got your plane out of the hanger/we got a problem in the annual condition inspection/she's all fueled up/you're in arrears in your hanger rent...each of those demands some amount of 'inside knowledge' which would act as the hook to get your attention.

Admittingly, more people would be expecting a package via USPS than those who own or operate an aircraft but in each case it is a numbers game. In each case, even dialing from a select database, that a solid hit (1X) would result from, what, thousands of calls. A monumental waste of assets is all that I conclude. One hit per thousands of attempts.... And even that one solid hit per thousand doesn't pay off (as per my case). What am I missing?

Following what Verizon told me with respect to 'dummy' phone numbers 800-999-9999 as example) I think Verizon is culpable in playing this shell game.

Still, even with robo-calls, I hardly see the payoff which would prove satisfactory for the scammer to continue. What am I missing?

P.S. I'm still awaiting a response from the fracking USPS.
Click to expand...

One problem I see with your analysis is the assumption that a scam would only pay off if the victim were expecting a package. You mentioned that the caller asked you for personal information. If they could scare you into providing it, by convincing you that there was a suspicious package addressed to you, then they would have their payoff. If you weren't expecting a package, that would be even better from their point of view, because it would mean that you wouldn't have any way of knowing whether there was anything illegal in it or not.
 
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Here's the deal that proves it's a scam of some sort. If there was something suspicious in that package your first indication would be the police at the door, not on the phone giving you a chance to flee. If you are suspect of a crime, they don't tell you they suspect something, they gather evidence and arrest you without warning.
 
Ask them to deliver the package. If they agree have your off duty cop friend waiting for them. :D
 
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