You must have received a package that has ‘Geathers Fottys, 3646 S Wolcott Ave. Chicago,IL60609’ written on it. You’re probably wondering who the hell is the person and why you’ve a package from them.
The short answer to this question is ‘You’re a victim of brushing scam or a bait and switch scam’. Read on to find out more details about this scam and what to do to stay protected.
Geathers Fottys Unordered Package Scam
An unordered package in the mail which either contains cheap jewellery, glasses, scarf or phone case is the hallmark of this scam. Recipients had either ordered a total different item from a website or nothing at all. Whatever the case may be, there’s a package they never ordered for from ‘Geathers Fottys’.
Online research would show nothing about ‘Geathers Fottys’ itself but similar reports of unordered package from the person. This is because ‘Geathers Fottys’ is a fictitious name used by the scammers. Interestingly, the contact address used ‘3646 South Wolcott, Chicago, IL 60609, USA‘ is that of a Multi family home that is presently vacant.
Geathers Fottys Scam: How It Works
The Geathers Fottys Package scam falls into two scam categories ‘Brushing Scam‘ and ‘Bait & Switch scam‘. For the brushing scam, most of the victims never ordered anything online but received a package. The Bait & Switch scam on the other hand targets victims via Social media Ads, use discount sales to lure them, get them to place an order online, and then send cheap items different from what was ordered.
The brushing scam is often used by fake websites to prevent angry customers from demanding a refund.
For example, Seller A pretends to sell scooters online for a 50% discount. The offer pulls in lots of buyers who place an order hoping to receive the scooters. In order to claim the total money and escape chargeback from PayPal or credit card companies, Seller A sends cheap items via USP to US addresses. Then forwards the tacking info to the customers.
Note; the addresses were acquired via any of the following means; data breach of e-commerce sites, public records, or via shady online brokers.
When customers don’t receive the scooters and demand for a refund, Seller A sends the tracking info as ‘proof’ to the credit card companies. Claiming the item has been delivered. That way it’s almost impossible for victims of the scooter scam to get a refund.
What To Do
If you didn’t order anything online yet have a package from ‘Geathers Fottys’, you’re a victim of brushing scam. In this scenario, the best actions to take are these;
- Immediately notify your post office and make an effort to return the packages to avoid being accused of theft.
- Report to the police as your data is currently available to scammers online.
- Be wary of scammers who will try to reach out to you pretending that the products were sent to them by mistake. They may try to intimidate you into sending them money to pay for the items or even offer to show up at the address to take possession themselves.
- Monitor your mail for any more unsolicited packages.
On the other hand, if you had ordered something from an online merchant and receive the unordered package from Geathers Fottys, take the following actions;
Cancel your credit card
Immediately call your financial provider and cancel your credit card. By so doing, the credit card details you used for your transaction on the scam store would become null and void. That way, the scammers wouldn’t be able to place future charges on it.
Request for a new card
After the old credit card has been cancelled, ask for a new card, it doesn’t cost much to get one.Your credit card issuer will issue you a new one with different numbers.
Report the Fraud To Relevant Authorities
Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
- Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.
Tips for Spotting Online Shopping Scams
Aside from the obvious too good to be true discount sale, here are other ways to identify a scam website;
Check Website Registration Age
How old is the website? The domain age of a website tells a lot about a store’s legitimacy or transparency. Websites below 6 months old are often considered unsafe. You can find out a website’s age by checking on Who.is ( a free domain checker tool)
Find Out If The Website Has SSL Encryption
find out if the website is secured with SSL encryption. (https and padlock symbols). If the padlock symbol doesn’t appear near the website’s URL, then it means your personal and financial information is at risk at the store.
Verify The Business Address
Does The website provide return address? If Yes (Copy the address and paste on your browser. Google map would show if it is a real warehouse address or a residential address) If the address has also been used by other websites you’d see reviews in search results.
Search For Reviews Online
Are there customer reviews online? (It is advised that you sit it out if there are no customer reviews of the store. However if you’re not patient enough to wait you can send a mail to us to verify if the store is legit)
Conclusion
You’ve an unordered package from Geathers Fottys Chicago,IL because you’re a victim of a Brushing Scam or Bait & Switch scam. This package was sent by dubious online stores disguised as legitimate websites. Geathers Fottys is a pseudo name used by the scam stores.
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