(Thunder Bay, Canada) – Police are warning about fraudsters who pose as cellphone providers, arrange genuine device shipments and then use false return instructions to take possession of the phones.

The Thunder Bay Police Service issued the warning October 30 after receiving a report about the scheme. An unsolicited caller may offer an upgrade, loyalty discount or other promotion, then order a device through a real provider using personal or account information.

The scammers may already hold some of the customer's details. Once a parcel arrives, they may call again, or wait for the recipient to question the unexpected delivery. Fake return addresses or prepaid labels can redirect the package to an address they control. More than one device may be shipped.

Police recommend verifying offers and return requests directly with the provider, using its official website's phone number. Do not trust an unexpected return label without checking it. Review the provider's official app or website for unfamiliar orders or account changes.

Source: Thunder Bay Police Service, October 30, 2026.

Editorial illustration of a smartphone shipment and return-label scam; not a photograph of an actual incident.