Phony Upgrades and "Return to Sender" Delivery Scams

The North East Crime Reduction Team are warning  to remain vigilant following a sophisticated, multi-stage fraud that begins with a cold call and ends with unexpected deliveries.

In a recent local case, a resident was contacted by a fraudster pretending to be from Sky, offering lower bills and a free iPad as a loyalty reward. The victim was convinced to pay a small deposit and guided through setting up a new mobile network account. Weeks later, instead of an iPad, two high-value iPhones arrived via courier. The scammers immediately called back, claiming the phones were sent in error, and provided a QR code to trick the victim into posting them to an address in England. The victim later discovered unauthorized direct debits attempting to pull money from their bank account.

How to Recognize This Scam

Legitimate companies will never cold-call you to ask for upfront fees to secure a free gift, nor will they ask you to share your screen or create new mobile phone contracts over the phone. A major red flag is receiving high-value devices you never ordered, followed by an urgent request from the caller to return them using a provided postage label or QR code. In this scam, fraudsters use your stolen details to order luxury phones on credit in your name, and then trick you into forwarding the hardware directly to them, leaving you liable for the monthly contract fees.

How to Protect Yourself

If you receive a cold call offering unexpected discounts or gifts, hang up. Contact the company directly using a trusted phone number from your official bill or their verified website to check your account status. Never create new accounts, log into your bank, or share your screen while on an unexpected call.

If unsolicited parcels arrive at your address, do not hand them over to anyone or post them to an address provided by a caller. Instead, contact the delivery company and the service provider immediately to report the fraud. Finally, regularly check your bank statements for unauthorized direct debits. 

If you notice suspicious activity, cancel the requests, contact your bank immediately, and report the matter to Police Scotland by calling 101.

This messaging system is not for reporting crime as responses are not monitored 24/7.  If you have time-critical information regarding the content of the above message, or if you wish to report any other non-urgent matter, please call 101.  In an emergency, call 999.

Police Scotland's North East Division covers rural and urban areas in Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City.  The division has five territorial command areas which have their own dedicated Area Commander, who is responsible for the daily policing function.  Each command area is served by a number of community policing teams whose activities are built around the needs of the local community.  These teams respond to local calls and look for long term solutions to key issues.  They are assisted by the division's Crime Reduction Unit who deliver against Force and local priorities in a number of areas, including physical and social crime prevention, supporting and enhancing community engagement and creating and sustaining strong and effective partnership working.