VERDICT: FALSE. If you receive a mobile phone you did not order, and someone soon calls or turns up saying it was a “mistake” and a courier will collect it – it is most likely a scam. Do not hand the parcel over. Arrange any return only directly with the shop or mobile network.
What we checked
A story is circulating among Poles in the UK: a new smartphone arrives at the house that nobody ordered. Shortly afterwards someone calls or knocks at the door. They say they are from the mobile network, the shop or the courier company and that the phone went to the wrong address. They ask for the parcel to be handed to a “courier”. We checked whether this is an honest mistake or a known fraud pattern.
How we checked
On 27 October 2026 we read the October fraud newsletter of Surrey and Sussex Police (Fraud Newsletter October 2026) and a warning from Trading Standards in the London Borough of Bromley (published on 11 May 2023). We also checked where such cases are officially reported (Report Fraud).
What is confirmed and what is not
Confirmed: according to Surrey and Sussex Police, criminals use stolen personal details to order a phone in the victim’s name or someone else’s. The phone is delivered to the victim’s address. Then someone poses as a member of staff from the network, the shop or the courier company and asks for it back. The police say fraudsters have posed as Sky and Three, among others. If you hand over the parcel, the criminals keep the phone, and you may be left with a contract or account opened in your name.
Confirmed: Trading Standards in Bromley described the same pattern back in 2023. The first courier delivers an expensive phone, and a second “courier” tries to take it away, claiming the parcel was delivered by mistake or was not scanned properly. The order was placed using the victim’s details, and further payments were to be charged to them.
Unconfirmed: the police refer to “several reports” but give no number of victims or losses. We also do not know how often Poles are targeted. Official sources do not indicate that mobile networks themselves are involved in the fraud – criminals impersonate them.
How to protect yourself
- Do not hand over an unexpected parcel and do not send it to an address given by the caller.
- Call the shop or network on the number from their official website, not from a text message or email.
- Set a PIN or password on your mobile network account.
- Check your credit report and bank statements for any new agreement in your name.
- If someone turns up and you feel threatened – call 999.
- Report fraud through Report Fraud (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) or to the police on 101 in Scotland. About your account, call your bank on 159.
Sources: Surrey Police – Fraud Newsletter October 2026 (checked 27 October 2026); London Borough of Bromley – Trading Standards alert (11 May 2023).
We assess factual corrections and substantive responses. Verified changes are reflected in our reporting.
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