Scammers posing as retailers send Norfolk homes items they did not order

Fraudsters pretending to be retailers have been scamming people in Norfolk by sending them items they did not order and then attempting to make them arrange payment.

Trading Standards received a number of reports of people receiving letters and items from the scammers, which sometimes claim to be from JD Williams, before they attempt to make them set up a direct debit by asking for bank details.

The scam, which was first reported on Wednesday, June 15, sees unsolicited goods arrive at the homes of targets before they are then spammed with letters asking them to provide their bank details to set up a direct debit to pay for the items.

Parcels arrive with no return address to enable people to send the items back.

Scammers hide behind accounts on auction and selling platforms such as Amazon and eBay, adding fake reviews to convince people they are genuine.

JD Williams says it will only ask for personal details if people have made direct contact with it first by phone, direct chat, or email.

Those who have been scammed should contact their bank or building society as well as reporting it to the actual retailer if the scammer has impersonated them.

Any suspicious websites can also be reported via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.