Help with item posted in scam

[Mini Hamlet]

Hi all,

Thanks for reading this. I’m hoping someone can help me out. It’s a longish story so thanks in advance.

Yesterday (Friday) I listed an iPhone 11 on Facebook marketplace and was contacted by someone claiming to be in London asking to buy the item. I consider myself to be pretty tech savvy and scam aware, but against my better judgement I agreed to post the item via special delivery once I’d seen proof of funds being transferred.

Long story short I posted the item from my local PO (Mold, North Wales) via SD to a name and address in London. Despite seeing screen shots of money being transferred it didn’t arrive and I quite quickly realised I’d been scammed.

Here’s my problem - Royal Mail can’t do anything, Police say it’s a civil matter. I reported it to Fraud Action Line but they can’t do anything.

The item has not yet been delivered as I changed the delivery to collect from Post Office and pushed the date back to August 1st. I am tracking it via track and trace but the criminal also has tracking number. Is there any way I can get it back?!

It’s a £250 phone and I’m pretty desperate. I know it’s my own fault but it’s still a crime and I need some help.

Thanks all.

[ted_e_bear]

Hi it's a bit of a grasping at straws answer but as it's now being collected from a post office the person collecting should only be able to get it if they've got proof of ID the same as it says on the item so if it's a false name the post office shouldn't let them have it and it should eventually be returned to sender but that'll be after 18 days, I suppose with a bit of luck it might put the scammer off collecting and move on to another victim as the post office would be full of cctv.

Have you Google searched the address by the way I know it's no help now but, is it something that looks dodgy?

[yellowbelly]

This is a question for colleagues in the know - following the original post above about changing the delivery to collect the SD from
a PO, how would we (the walk delivery postie) know this is to happen? Do the secure locker get notified of this prior to dishing them out?
When we get SD's I've never been told to scan them for an in-flt request before taking them out on delivery (and I have two sub PO's
on the round that I could technically in-flt them to).

https://www.royalmail.com/receiving/cha ... ry-options

[SpacePhoenix]

This is a question for colleagues in the know - following the original post above about changing the delivery to collect the SD from
a PO, how would we (the walk delivery postie) know this is to happen? Do the secure locker get notified of this prior to dishing them out?
When we get SD's I've never been told to scan them for an in-flt request before taking them out on delivery (and I have two sub PO's
on the round that I could technically in-flt them to).

https://www.royalmail.com/receiving/cha ... ry-options

Think it'll be down to what equipment the DO uses to receive SDs and allocate them to walks. If it's a STAR gun then they won't get any sort of message. If it's a PDA then there's a possibility, depends on how the PDA software is set up

[ted_e_bear]

This is a question for colleagues in the know - following the original post above about changing the delivery to collect the SD from
a PO, how would we (the walk delivery postie) know this is to happen? Do the secure locker get notified of this prior to dishing them out?
When we get SD's I've never been told to scan them for an in-flt request before taking them out on delivery (and I have two sub PO's
on the round that I could technically in-flt them to).

https://www.royalmail.com/receiving/cha ... ry-options

We've had inflight changes to specials as well as tracked, the op has changed it before it was due to be delivered from the do so the special in question will be held at the do (as would a tracked) until the specified delivery date, afaik we're currently unable to divert items when they're out for delivery as the likes of DPD can, I've had stuff coming with DPD and been able to get it sent to the local corner shop whilst actually inflight to me.

To sort of not answer the other question I've no idea how it gets flagged up in the do, when we do the ready for the delivery scan for the trackeds if one has an inflight request it flags it up so it goes to the locker rather than the duty, the locker guy already has a printout of expected inflights so presumably something similar will exist for sd's.

[jagger]

It can be changed, date and deliver to PO, inflight.
Your best best is to call customer services, or go online. Alternatively, you could call your local police. We have intercepted several parcels this way and returned them to sender.

[Route1]

This is a question for colleagues in the know - following the original post above about changing the delivery to collect the SD from
a PO, how would we (the walk delivery postie) know this is to happen? Do the secure locker get notified of this prior to dishing them out?
When we get SD's I've never been told to scan them for an in-flt request before taking them out on delivery (and I have two sub PO's
on the round that I could technically in-flt them to).

https://www.royalmail.com/receiving/cha ... ry-options

The inflight requests needs to be made before its scanned "Ready for delivery" if its to be caught.

The PDA would beep when scanning it "ready for delivery". The PDA also has an "inflight" tab that shows all the items that are to be diverted or taken out another day. Its all done before the postie on delivery gets it.

Specials were similar. I think the STAR gun (used for scanning in specials) doesnt flag it up so the locker guy notes any inflight before hand. Rare to get an inflight special.

[Route1]

Hi all,

Thanks for reading this. I’m hoping someone can help me out. It’s a longish story so thanks in advance.

Yesterday (Friday) I listed an iPhone 11 on Facebook marketplace and was contacted by someone claiming to be in London asking to buy the item. I consider myself to be pretty tech savvy and scam aware, but against my better judgement I agreed to post the item via special delivery once I’d seen proof of funds being transferred.

Long story short I posted the item from my local PO (Mold, North Wales) via SD to a name and address in London. Despite seeing screen shots of money being transferred it didn’t arrive and I quite quickly realised I’d been scammed.

Here’s my problem - Royal Mail can’t do anything, Police say it’s a civil matter. I reported it to Fraud Action Line but they can’t do anything.

The item has not yet been delivered as I changed the delivery to collect from Post Office and pushed the date back to August 1st. I am tracking it via track and trace but the criminal also has tracking number. Is there any way I can get it back?!

It’s a £250 phone and I’m pretty desperate. I know it’s my own fault but it’s still a crime and I need some help.

Thanks all.

I know your local Royal Mail office & the delivering office cant do anything. We are not allowed to divert anything.

Best bet if you contact Royal Mail customer services & explain the situation. Let them know you are happy for them to just "return it to sender" (assuming you put a return address on it). Tell them you are the sender and have the posting receipt etc

[Mini Hamlet]

Thanks. RM customer service were not very helpful at all. Basically said they can’t do anything and it needs to run its course in the system unless the Police intervene. The police said it’s a civil matter and did not want to know!

Thanks again