Amazon package required 6 digits code I didn’t ordered. Is this a scam and how does it works?

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51togo

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
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Location
Los Angeles
So Amazon got a big box delivery 18x20x20 weight 30#. The driver saids I need a code to receive it but I got no code from Amazon non did I ordered anything that big or with value requiring a code. He requested it again to send me a code and nothing. He took it back and I asked my daughters to see it’s an early Christmas surprise… lol Nope!
So Amazon would just destroy the package since no return sender ? How does this scam works ? Or just accidental shipment ?
 
I have never come across an Amazon delivery that needs a code. I would call it a scam. Are you sure it is a legitimate Amazon driver?
 
Nothing in that box could be worth the trouble you’d have if it were a scam. You did the right thing. Maybe log into your Amazon account and contact customer service.
 
I believe that for some high value items, a 6-digit one time code is required to receive the package.
For something you ordered, it should be emailed to you, or you can look it up in your order history on Amazon. If there's a chance you ordered something and forgot, you might look in your spam folder

If you didn't order it, then I have no idea how it would work. Whoever ordered it for you should be notified so they can make arrangements, but other than that I would just forget it.
 
Here's what that code is about:

Amazon one-time passwords (OTP): Tips for customers and delivery drivers

Amazon driver asking for a password? Here's how to find it. Flex drivers: how to protect your ratings when customers can't find the password
www.ridesharingdriver.com www.ridesharingdriver.com

Did you know that Amazon sometimes requires a one-time password (OTP) for high-value deliveries?

If you’re an Amazon customer, you must give your driver the password to receive your package.

How to find an OTP code: Go to the order tracking page at Your Orders > Track Package. The code is listed at the top of the order tracking page.

If you’re a Flex driver, you can’t complete an OTP delivery without inputting an acceptable code. If the customer can’t find the code, choose the “password is missing or incorrect” option and ask for the last two digits of their phone number.
 
I ordered a stationary bike from Amazon and it required a 6 digit code. Amazon sent the code via email a day before it was delivered, the delivery person asked for that code.
 
RetiredHappy said:
I have never come across an Amazon delivery that needs a code. I would call it a scam. Are you sure it is a legitimate Amazon driver?
Click to expand...
It happened to us a few minutes ago. First time ever. DD placed the order and she was surprised also. She located the 6 digit code in email or Amazon app.
 
Since it seems to be just high value items or in areas where theft is common, I'm guessing that this is Amazon's effort to thwart the porch pirates.
 
I guess I have never ordered a high value item off Amazon. I have ordered items that were over $1K but have not encountered this security feature.
 
51togo said:
So Amazon got a big box delivery 18x20x20 weight 30#. The driver saids I need a code to receive it but I got no code from Amazon non did I ordered anything that big or with value requiring a code. He requested it again to send me a code and nothing. He took it back and I asked my daughters to see it’s an early Christmas surprise… lol Nope!
So Amazon would just destroy the package since no return sender ? How does this scam works ? Or just accidental shipment ?
Click to expand...

So the question is - who is your secret admirer who sent you a high-value item without your knowledge? 😹
 
I'd be interested in hearing how the scam works. Sending something to a random address isn't new. For example, the the seller can have a fake buyer account leave a legitimate-looking five-star review. For that scam to work, it doesn't matter what's in the package, only that it was ordered and delivered.

But this time there was a code required. So it didn't get delivered. What's the point?
 
51togo said:
So Amazon got a big box delivery 18x20x20 weight 30#. The driver saids I need a code to receive it but I got no code from Amazon non did I ordered anything that big or with value requiring a code. He requested it again to send me a code and nothing. He took it back and I asked my daughters to see it’s an early Christmas surprise… lol Nope!
So Amazon would just destroy the package since no return sender ? How does this scam works ? Or just accidental shipment ?
Click to expand...
Sign on to your Amazon account and check to see that it hasn't been compromised. When we got hacked recently, our first indication was a shipment to us that we didn't order (an air freshener of all things). Then, the hacker was off to the races with electronic gift cards and things sent to another address. It took a while to get our account back under control. (a tale I recounted here Hacked )
 
CaptTom said:
I'd be interested in hearing how the scam works. Sending something to a random address isn't new. For example, the the seller can have a fake buyer account leave a legitimate-looking five-star review. For that scam to work, it doesn't matter what's in the package, only that it was ordered and delivered.

But this time there was a code required. So it didn't get delivered. What's the point?
Click to expand...
I don't think this is a scam, it's just strange.
I know the law is that anything you receive in the mail that you didn't order is considered a gift and you don't owe anything for it, so I assume an Amazon delivery would fall under that rule as well.

But since the code wasn't given to the recipient in this case, nothing could be delivered. As @Calico said, what we need to know is who is the secret admirer?
 
This time of year it could well be legit, and a gift, in which case Amazon can't send the code to the recipient, hence making the driver do it. But clearly this driver didn't have a very good script to explain the situation properly.

Amazon won't destroy it, they will return it to their warehouse and refund the sender as "order could not be delivered" or something. And then hopefully that person gets in touch with you to explain what happened.
 
latest update … one of my daughter is traveling oversea to Hong Kong and with different time zone, she just txt me that indeed it was a gift ( coffee machine ). She didn’t realized that a code was necessary and found it in her email. It was a Black Friday deal she just ordered on the plane while in LAX. Wanting to be a surprise, lol. I’ll use that for the Amazon delivery tomorrow. Something new from Amazon, not a bad thing I guess. Thank you everyone!
 
51togo said:
www.cbsnews.com

Suspect allegedly flashes fake ID to steal Lawndale man's package

For the second time this week, a porch pirate allegedly stole a package after impersonating a Southern California homeowner.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
Click to expand...
...A guy just hanging around when a laptop delivery is due, with a fake ID showing the actual buyer's name and address?

Yeah. Inside job. Who else but Amazon and UPS (in this case) know what's coming, when, and to whom?

I'm guessing that delivering for Amazon isn't exactly the pinnacle of anyone's career. While the folks who deliver my packages seem nice and friendly enough, I can imagine some "bad apples" getting into the process and using their positions to set up a scam like this.
 
51togo said:
latest update … one of my daughter is traveling oversea to Hong Kong and with different time zone, she just txt me that indeed it was a gift ( coffee machine ). She didn’t realized that a code was necessary and found it in her email. It was a Black Friday deal she just ordered on the plane while in LAX. Wanting to be a surprise, lol. I’ll use that for the Amazon delivery tomorrow. Something new from Amazon, not a bad thing I guess. Thank you everyone!
Click to expand...
That’s funny (and was educational).

Brother is visiting from overseas in a few weeks. He asks if he can send some packages ahead. I say sure, just make sure delivery is Dec 2 or later because we won’t be home this coming weekend. He replies he knows that.

So late yesterday afternoon we get pinged from our street doorbell showing a FedEx person delivering a package. We can’t figure out what is going on but ask a neighbor to please pick them up and hold them. They pick up two large packages and text us the shipping labels. It’s a delivery for my brother! :facepalm: Perhaps early delivery - Saturday even. But how annoying! No recourse.

Not to mention that an important outgoing FedEx package has been stuck in limbo since last week, and with travel and holidays we have to wait until tomorrow to find out what is going on.
 
Last edited:
When we were still living in California, my silly girlfriend who visited us from overseas ordered alot of stuff to be delivered to my home while we took her to Cancun for a week. I yelled at her for being so !@#$. Who would be home to pick up the packages that were being dropped off at my home? She managed to cancel a few of the orders. For her it was like a child in a candy store. Everything was so inexpensive so she kept ordering. Fortunately when we got home, the few packages that were delivered while we were away were still sitting on the front porch.
 
The Amazon drivers have been stealing packages, this feature makes that more difficult.
 
I did not know Amazon offered such a service. I can see using it for a PC or something. If it was sent by someone else and they didn't give you the code or arrange for Amazon to send you one, I guess you are SOL.
 
Two recent deliveries from Amazon drivers at my condo required me to sign for them. These were $30 items and the driver said my order needed a signature. Not sure why, possibly this driver was under suspicion?
 
This is all very interesting and a very useful heads-up. I’ll be watching to see how this evolves.
 
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