The fraud involves people making orders for an Ocado delivery with a fraudulent credit card and a real delivery address belonging to someone else. They then wait outside the address at the appointed time and pick up the deliveries without them ever having gone into the house.
Our reader writes:
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We’ve been the ‘victim’ of several fraudulent Ocado scams. Those responsible have managed to secure at least three shopping loads. others have been foiled when the delivery driver knocked to check that we really had order £800 of alcohol…we hadn’t!
It’s been a recurring problem so I do sympathise with Ocado. I suspect our house is targeted because we have a drive and shrubs at the front. Those requesting the deliveries book a slot and wait at the front of our property for collection.
I first became aware when Ocado e-mailed me for payment, only for me to explain we hadn’t ordered the items requested (usually immediately apparent because of the volume of spirits ordered).
On at least two occasions the delivery driver knocked to check the items were ours and asked if I wanted the ‘gentleman’ standing by the road, and hidden by the bushes, to take collection. When I walked out to see who it was, they’d vanished and the driver had to re-load the items and leave. He mentioned that it ‘happened all the time’.
There’s clearly two types of fraud. One, where they have simply used our address and waited for the delivery, convincing the driver they own my house and are just about to walk in. Two, they have managed to secure our family name also, and to re-register at our address.
Both are disconcerting, particularly to think people have viewed our house and have often waited on our drive while we are at work.
I’ve talked at length to Ocado customer service with some limited success. I asked for them to only ever delivery directly to me and explained I will always be in to collect a delivery INTO my home and not by a roadside.
They’re a little lacklustre, but it may just be they’re busy folk in a call centre needing to get the next call. I’ve also offered to report to the police but Ocado claim they do this themselves. It feels a little bit of a ‘victimless’ crime but that’s clearly not the case.[/su_quote]
And in another twist, it turns out Ocado is still advertising for new customers in Wanstead, as spotted by Michael Duffell.
https://twitter.com/MichaelDuffell/status/796617580740050944
Easily fixed with some simple procedures and basic driver training.
Not a great reflection on Ocado…..
This scam has been going on for many years and Ocado should be aware of it. I have even known the fraudsters to get access to empty properties so they can take the delivery in. The company I worked for did have some ‘hot’ postcodes that we were careful with and put experienced drivers on those routes.