What a racket. The thieves are ingenious.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk...e-time-password-scam

You only need to have your package delivered by armed guards like Richie Rich and you'll never have this problem. Jeez.

Do I have to come up with the solutions to all the world's problems?

Or you can buy from brick-and-mortar shops in person and carry your merchandise out with you.

quote:

Originally posted by Axtremus:
Or you can buy from brick-and-mortar shops in person and carry your merchandise out with you.

Unfortunately, this is increasingly become less of an option for many people because there are fewer brick and mortar stores. I try to shop in-person as much as possible, partly because of the delivery issue but more just because I figure if I want to keep the option to buy in-person, I have to keep buying in-person.

Back to the OT, I have never heard of this delivery with a one time password, is it only for big-ticket items or maybe not something being done in the US yet?

I probably should read the article more closely, but it's not exactly clear to me how to avoid the scam.

I'm not familiar with the code protocol either, but I don't usually order big ticket items on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help...d%3DGXHYX22CS752PLE3

Amazon OTP discussed on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/amazo..._delivery/?rdt=51110

More on Amazon OTPs:

https://www.verified.org/artic...amazon-otp-text-scam

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel:
You only need to have your package delivered by armed guards like Richie Rich and you'll never have this problem. Jeez.

Do I have to come up with the solutions to all the world's problems?

So re the scams described in the first article WTG linked… based on the description and how the items were stolen, doesn’t that mean that the Amazon driver is the person who stole the actual item?

Because, in the first scenario, someone showed up at the door, with the item in hand, asked for the code, so that Amazon was able to record the item as delivered. Then the customer relayed the code, but the delivery person then said there was a problem with the code, and kept the package.

So in this scenario, the driver is the thief?

In the second scenario, the customer received a box, but it didn’t contain the expected item. In this case, it’s a little more complicated bc potentially the box could have been opened at some earlier stage (like back when people were getting iPad boxes delivered, only to find the boxes were filled with rocks).

In the first case, shouldn’t Amazon (or their fulfillment company) be able to know who the driver was?

It’s been awhile since I’ve purchased anything expensive (like more than $100) on Amazon, I think the last time was when we bought our TV maybe 4-5 years ago, which wasn’t super expensive as TVs go. But it did come in only the packing box, so anyone could tell what it was. Oh actually, that’s not right. I bought my humidifier on Amazon in Nov., and that was maybe $250 IIRC. But there was no OTP.

I wonder what the threshold is for a price or item to trigger the otp…

I don't recall getting an OTP, but my Amazon account was hacked.
My credit card was being declined online, then it would be ok. Got a notice of suspect charges. All but one had been declined except for one I did not recognize. I reported that and destroyed the card.
Amazon has blocked my account. Access to Prime Video and the Echo are blocked as well and the online catalog. An email stated that I would receive an email when I can access my account again.
Meanwhile I am no doubt paying for Prime and the Music app.
All of this happened on Friday, the 12th.

Oh no CHAS, that’s awful!!

Sorry to hear about your hack, Chas. I hadn't ever considered what happens if an Amazon account is shut down. You lose all your services.

SK, if you look at the delivery scam from Amazon's perspective...they don't know whether the driver or the customer is the scammer.

Scenario A: Driver is the scammer, and it goes as described in the original post.

Scenario B: Customer is scammer. Everything goes as it should: Customer gets OTP, provides to driver at delivery, driver gives package to customer. Then the customer makes up a story about how they didn't get the item. It's the customer's word against the driver's.

Of course if a particular driver is involved in a series of these, one would hope that Amazon would be keeping track and figure out that it's the driver. Amazon has its money, so there isn't a huge incentive for them to track and investigate these kinds of scams.

Miss the edit button.
Corrected a typo and now I seem to have quoted myself.

I'm sorry about the invisible edit/reply/delete icons. They are still there, you just have to be careful when fishing around for them. Beyond my pay grade to fix.

I can, however, edit other people's posts. Would you like me to take the quote stuff off of your second post? Or copy the text from the second post and overlay it on the first post?

Your call.

quote:

they don't know whether the driver or the customer is the scammer.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that...

I wonder, as a customer, what one could do to protect oneself... It doesn't seem like there are many options. Maybe if the driver takes the package away, call the police right away?