Our saguaros are wearing flower crowns.
Friday I got a package, which isn’t unusual because I use Amazon a lot. However it’s what was in the package that was odd. It was a diverter cartridge for a Danze faucet from a “Plumbing Repair Parts Specialist” in Ohio.
Note: we do not have any faucets with that brand.
I have never heard of the company. I have never been to their website. I did not order any plumbing parts. The part is $108.47. I doubled checked my Amazon orders and no I didn’t accidentally click on the part.
I emailed them asking how they got my name and number — and why they decided to mail me a part I don’t want and didn’t order.
I checked through all our various banking accounts and credit card. We have not been charged for the part.
Then I noticed a charge for $600 to PNP billpayments. I have never heard of PNP billpayments. I freaked out, called the bank and disputed the charge. I considered closing our account but decided to discuss with my husband. He told me to make a list of ACH’s and see if there was anything coming out soon — like the electric bill.
I called back to the bank to close our account. I was on hold for 20 minutes and gave up.
I googled PNP payments:
The PNP Bill Payment bank charge typically signifies an automated payment made to several municipalities nationwide in the United States. These payments are commonly utilized to cover various services, such as utilities, taxes, or other municipal expenses.
https://cashvapour.com/what-is-pnp-bill-payment-on-a-bank-statement/
I had an “AHA” moment. The $600 was for property tax in Washington for our family’s riverfront lots that I had made several weeks ago. It hit my account on Friday, but under a weird name.
Back on the phone with the bank to tell them I was an idiot. I asked to cancel my payment dispute. That took 45 minutes.
Saturday, I got another strange package. More plumbing parts that I did not order. This time it was two parts from a plumbing fixture company in Illinois. It was a pull-out faucet spray head and a Roman tub diverter assembly. At least that’s what the packaging says. There’s no invoice or paperwork. So, I don’t know how much this order cost.
I got on the company’s website and filled out an online form wondering what the heck is up with all of this?
I hope to get an answer from both plumbing companies today. Hopefully no more plumbing parts arrive in the mail.
The mysterious plumbing parts I got in the mail, one still wrapped because I’ll most likely have to mail them back. I don’t want to pay for the postage! Would you?
Why do you think I’m getting random plumbing parts in the mail?
Have you ever received items you never ordered? If so, what were they?
After I wrote this, I talked to my millennial son and he told me this sounds like a scam called “brushing.” Ever heard of that before? Be safe. Stay Aware. Change your passwords.
A scam that involves plumbing parts?? I’m not sure I even understand how or why that would work… It will be interesting to see what you figure out.
I know. It has me stumped .
I googled brushing scams, have you? Sounds like what might be happening to you. Both the USPS and Amazon address the scam if you haven’t already looked at those sites… Seems it’s not a hacking into your account thing at all and the reasons for doing it are bizarre to me!
My son explained it to me and it is bizarre.
Earlier in the days of online shopping, I read that some scammers were so un-bright that they used other people’s accounts and credit cards to order stuff… to their own (the scammers) homes 🤦♀️ Guess how difficult it was to track them 🙃
Wow! How silly is that?
I guess that’s the silver lining: imagine if criminals were all evil geniuses? We’d really need superman then! 😁
Ha! So true. 😆
Did your son describe what brushing is?
I just googled it Julia. It’s bizarre.
Yes, but it seems strange. I don’t quite get it.
If that happened to me, I would assume maybe one of my neighbors had a plumbing issue and had hired a plumber who had ordered parts for the job but entered the incorrect address. Do you think that’s a possibility? I don’t know how you would identify which neighbor it was, because it could be a misspelling of your street name or a wrong number. Now I have to look up brushing.
I think you have the most likely explanation. There’s also a house with our address nearby. It is on “Street” while ours is “Way.” We often get each other’s mail.
Oh my goodness…so, so strange! 😲
Yes. I can’t wait to hear from the plumbing companies today or in the next few days.
😉😉😉
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What a mystery! I’ve not heard of the brushing scam, but it’s good your son has so you can navigate this without getting into trouble.
Brushing is companies boosting their sales numbers by shipping items out and then posting fake reviews online. The downside to the people receiving items is somehow their private information is compromised. I’m not sure that’s what happened, but it’s a possibility.
How strange to get things you’ve never ordered.
I know. I should get an answer to the mystery because I contacted both companies.
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I think you should have told the bank you were a “drip.” How’s that for a plumbing joke? So glad you figured out the charge. So weird about the parts. Can’t wait to hear what happens next.
I never thought I’d hear a plumbing joke, but that’s pretty good. 😅
I feel so “drippy!” It was a friend of mine who is in Kirkland right now. She asked if it was okay to have the parts mailed to my home. I said yes. This was awhile ago. I got confused, because my husband and I also have a plumbing project going on at the same time with parts coming by mail! Totally forgot about the request. Made an interesting blog post, though. I think?
I have heard of Brushing but, like you, I found the whole explanation rather baffling. On out local NextDoor site, people are often saying they received a package they didn’t order.
I agree with Mamalava, it sounds like a wrong address, especially since those plumbing items aren’t cheap.
I have the answer. They are packages for a friend! She’s out of town and had the parts sent to me. I talked to her today. She didn’t want them sitting at her front door.
Where’s Scooby Doo and the gang when you need them? Something’s definitely up! Good luck solving this caper EA!!!!!
A friend who is out of state right now, used my address for her plumbing parts. She didn’t want them left on her front porch. One of the companies replied with who had ordered the parts. She mentioned it to me awhile ago, but I obviously wasn’t listening 😅
Wow, glad you found out where the plumbing parts were coming from! What a mystery.
It’s a relief.
Why do you think I’m getting random plumbing parts in the mail? Because you are lucky? This is a marvelous mystery.
Have you ever received items you never ordered? If so, what were they? Yes once after ordering a salt and pepper shaker set from Williams-Sonoma, about 6 months later I received a salt shaker just like the one in the set. No pepper shaker with it, though. I contacted them to ask *why* and they didn’t know. Said to keep it for free, so I did.
That’s nice to get gifts from Williams Sonoma!
Oh good. Another scam to look out for. Tell me if you found anything else…