They call it the UPS scam

So here is a fun story.  Last Tuesday I ordered a new laptop that was supposed to arrive this week.  Except on Saturday I was over at my in-laws having lunch and Fedex delivered a package for me.  It contained an HP laptop.  It seemed a little strange that I would get a package at my inlaws and even stranger that it would a computer that I hadn't ordered, I had ordered one of the new Mac Book Pros.  So being the optomistic guy that I am I assumed someone had sent me a laptop as a gift.  So we immediately started trying to figure out who would give me a laptop.  The only one I could come up with is Abraham, a guy who my in-laws took care of for a couple of years when he was younger and who I am building D&H Auto Parts for.

So I tried to call him and say thanks a couple of times on Saturday and then sent him an email.  Since I assumed the HP laptop was for me I called Apple and got the laptop I ordered cancelled and started setting up the HP one.  Imagine my surprise then when Abraham calls me Saturday evening and says, "I didn't buy you a laptop, sorry."  So then I went and looked at the invoice that came with the package and noticed that it was charged to my credit card.

So basically someone stole my credit card information and bought a laptop with it.  So that the credit card charge wouldn't look suspicious they had it shipped to my address, except in this case it was an old address.  I immediatly called Discover of course and cancelled my card and then I called HP, who put me off until the fraud department opened on Monday, they made a special point though of saying, "If UPS comes by to pick up the computer don't give it to them, we only use Fedex."  Sure enough UPS called my in-laws house to schedule a pickup for the computer.

After talking to HP I learned that they call it the UPS scam.  Someone steals your credit card information and buys a computer that is then shipped to you.  They then schedule a pickup with UPS to get the computer, assuming that you realize you didn't order it and have contacted your credit card company and/or HP and so are expecting a pickup.  I wonder how many people gave the computer to UPS before HP started saying, "Do not give it to UPS.  We don't use them and we didn't schedule the pickup."  So if any of you mysteriously get a computer delivered to your house, check the invoice.