No matter what type of social engineer you are, be It a refunder who's been In the scene for many years to date and offering your services to those who're less experienced In the art of "company manipulation and exploitation" or perhaps someone operating on an advanced level, whereby you can manage just about every SE on your own, you'd be (mostly) focusing on a number of things prior to hitting your attack vector. Stuff like "researching the company's terms & conditions" to determine the grounds on which refunds and replacements are Issued, as well as "having sound knowledge of every traditional method" to help formulate It against the Items you're planning to SE, play an Integral role to make sure the attack gets off to a flawless start, and finishes with the claim being approved by a given representative.
You'd also be well aware of the fact that not everything goes according to plan, hence due to unforeseen circumstances, "Investigations are opened" to cross-check consignments with the carrier, "police reports" are requested to be signed and returned and the same with putting pen to paper regarding "affidavits and statutory declarations". If you're reading this from a beginner's standpoint, It may seem like an arduous task to effectively address and manipulate each of the quoted elements but believe It or not, It becomes second nature when having years of SEing experience under your belt. In other words, once you've dealt with Investigations, police reports and stat decs on quite a few occasions, you know what to expect and how to handle each one with minimal disruptions.
What you've just read In the above paragraph, pertains to "events that occur on the company side of things", and because they will Inevitably come your way multiple times during your SEing activities, there's no real cause for concern- due to Its regularity, you'll well and truly know what to do once you've succeeded from one company to the next. Now I'd say It's safe to assume that you're more or less well equipped with hitting online stores to the likes of Currys PC World, ASOS, Logitech and Amazon, but have you given much thought to "how their carrier partners service your deliveries" and on-topic of this article, whether "the driver Inspects your package" when a return Is arranged by the company Itself?
I have little doubt that It most likely hasn't crossed your mind and If I am correct In saying that, then be sure to absorb every word In the topics listed below. I will demonstrate how to Identify the type of carrier that will be servicing your delivery from the company you're SEing at the time, Inclusive of how and why their drivers check your goods at the collection point, and also the best ways to circumvent the need to have your package Inspected. Sounds confusing? Not at all! It will all make perfect sense as you move forward with this article. So without further delay, let's rip Into It starting with "how to Identify the carrier used"- as having knowledge of this, will assist In determining If the carrier company "Is known for examining the contents of your package on collection".
How To Identify The Carrier Used:
Although for the most part, you're told In advance of the type of carrier company that's scheduled to deliver and (where warranted) pickup your package from your residential address, there are Instances when companies neglect to pass on that Information to you. Moreover and as with every SE, "It's paramount to plan ahead by having every detail of relevance at your disposal", and knowing precisely which carrier you'll be dealing with, Is certainly no exception. Evidently, not every online retailer utilizes the same service, and "some companies dispatch carriers based on where you're located", which can be a somewhat difficult task trying to pinpoint exactly who will be showing up at your doorstep.
So the question Is: "How do you establish the carrier who will be servicing your needs?". There's a few ways you can do this, but to avoid congestion, I'll only name a couple, beginning with the absolute obvious by performing a "Google search". Do note that your search results are only as good as the keywords you enter, so make sure you use common sense and only hit those that're relevant to your query. For example, If I want to know the type of carriers Amazon works with, I've typed "what carriers does Amazon use" In Google's search field and a few links down, this web page contained what I was looking for.
As you can see In the above link, there's quite a few carriers listed, and It's pretty easy to find the locations they attend to- by phone number under "contact Information", clicking on the carrier link and checking the domain name (example, ".au" Is for "Australia"), or viewing the site Itself to see who they ship to. The second way to Identify the carrier, Involves a little bit of social engineering on your end and because It's also done for legit reasons, the possibility of failure Is highly unlikely. In fact, It's so straightforward that you cannot mess It up even If you tried! What you do Is, "contact the representative of the company" and pretend that you're a concerned customer who wants to make sure that the package will be delivered to the correct address.
Be sure to communicate In a calm and polite manner, and then ask "which carrier will be handling the shipment?". I can assure you that the rep will answer your question there and then, and that's due to the fact that It has the appearance of an authentic enquiry and there's no suspicion raised whatsoever. Okay, now that you know how to Identify the carrier that will be taking care of your consignment and on the grounds that you've either been told (by the company) that your package will be Inspected on pickup, or you've established It In advance by doing your own research, we'll have a look at a general example of the events that lead to the driver checking your goods as per the topic below.
The Driver Personally Checking Goods:
What you're about to read doesn't happen too often and It mainly depends on the carrier's terms, conditions and protocol but If It unexpectedly comes your way, It's of the utmost Importance to bring this to your attention, thus you'll be well-prepared for the series of events that will be encountered. The following scenario "Is not based on any specifics", but rather Intended to give you an understanding of what takes place when "carrier drivers are asked to personally check goods at the collection point"- your home address or otherwise. So do take this as a general guide when applying It to your very own SE.
Let's say you're SEing a particular online retailer by using the faulty Item method and claiming that the Item you've purchased Is no longer working, the rep/agent will go through a few troubleshooting steps to try and determine the cause of the problem. Evidently, you'll remain adamant that It's still not functioning and when he's satisfied that what you're saying Is true and correct, he'll Issue a refund or replacement- but "only when your (seemingly) defective Item Is returned". So far, there's no cause for concern. To avoid the return, you can use the boxing method by adding dry Ice to substitute the weight, or If It's extremely light and cannot be detected when weighed, simply send the box on Its own with nothing enclosed.
The objective Is to make the package appear as though It was tampered with during transit, hence your Item was stolen and given the company Is responsible for loss of goods when shipped, your claim will be approved thereafter. That's In a perfect world of boxing, however to make sure that your Item Is securely returned, some carriers/companies will Instruct you to "leave the package open for the driver to Inspect Its contents" before It's sealed and dispatched. This request can be done by either picking It up from your house, or when you take your package to a designated collection point. At the time of this article, I can confidently say that "DHL" Is one of a few carriers that (at times) does this and as such, It virtually puts an end to the boxing method, or any other applicable method you're currently using.
Having said that, "SEing Is all about manipulating your target to perform an action that they're not supposed to do", and here's how you'll circumvent the need to have your package checked. Rather than trying to stop the driver from examining It (which can be a very difficult or Impossible task), you'll be using an alternative approach by focusing on "the reasons why you're not able to meet the carrier's request". In other words, you'll be manipulating the representative as to "why you won't be around when the driver arrives", therefore you cannot comply with how they're arranging your return. As a result, the aim Is to convince them that you're more than happy to use another carrier (who does not Inspect packages) and to provide reassurance, you will Immediately give them the tracking details. Okay, let's have a look at how to bypass your Item being Inspected.
Circumvent The Inspection Of Goods:
As you're aware, the Intention Is to SE the customer service rep as to "why you will not be available to meet up with the carrier driver" at your residential address. This also applies to any other pickup location that they've specifically requested- such as dropping off your package at a particular collection point as prearranged by the company or their carrier partner. Bear In mind, that It's very likely you'll face a number of complexities along the way- namely when dealing with stubborn reps who refuse to budge with just about everything you throw at them. But the key to SE your way to success, Is to "take control" of all communications, "remain firm" with the details you're giving to the rep/agent and "not take no for an answer" under any circumstances. Here's a few excuses you can use.
Absent Due To Work Commitments
Regardless of whether you're still at school or perhaps attending college studying for a degree, the company has no Idea of your personal profile so as far as you're concerned, "you are currently working as an employee who's on-call". What this means, Is because of the nature of your work, you don't really have a set day and time to attend your job, thus you must leave a window (of time) open In case you get called Into work. That Is, you have no Idea when your next shift will be available and as such, It's not possible to commit to any sort of arrangement made by the company- which Is what you'll say when you get In touch with the rep. I've personally assisted a few fellow SE'ers using this approach, and It worked on every occasion, so there's every reason why It should do the same for you.
In The Process Of Moving House
Judging by the topic's title, this Is pretty much self-explanatory as to what It entails, so there's no point discussing It In great detail. I'd say this Is just as effective as the above example pertaining to work commitments, but there's one very Important element that I recommend excluding from your attack vector, and that Is to "not mention that your house Is up for sale or lease/rent" as the reason why you're relocating to another premises. Why? Well, although there's a minor chance of It happening, you never know If the representative will check on a real estate website to see If your property Is listed for sale/lease. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. Given I've already thought It's a possibility, so too can anyone else! Don't go Into any detail- only say you're moving house and leave It at that.
Called For Jury Duty
The advantage of using this excuse over the one's you've just read, Is that It solidifies your absence from home and there's nothing that reps/agents can say or do, to try and tell you to hang around for the carrier to arrive. You see, when you're called for "jury duty", you must (by law) serve as a juror In court and depending on the nature of the trial, you could be there for days or maybe weeks, which essentially means you'll definitely be away from home. The downside Is, If the company accepts It and you're SEing a high value Item, they could ask for documents to prove that what you're saying Is true and correct but as an SE'er yourself, you'd know that It's pretty easy to provide a fake letter. I've located a template online In literally 15 seconds right here. All It needs Is to be edited accordingly, by using Adobe Acrobat or Photoshop.
In Hospital As An Inpatient
In my view, the effectiveness of this approach Is on par with the one above, due to the fact that as opposed to an outpatient whereby you're treated on the day and then sent home, "an Inpatient Is when you'll be hospitalized at least one night" for treatment such as "surgery". This Is a perfect excuse to convince the customer service rep that you cannot meet the driver at your house, nor (If requested) take your package to a particular collection point. Notice how I've quoted "surgery" just above? That's because most operations usually result In a minimum of one day In hospital, to possibly an entire week or more. Now there's no need to justify this piece of fabrication as being truthful- It's none of the rep's business. Simply saying "you require surgery as an Inpatient" speaks for Itself.
Away On A Business Trip
This Is very similar to the first subtopic named "Absent Due To Work Commitments", with the only exception that you'll be away from home (for work) on a business trip for an extended period of time, preferably a few weeks to a couple of months or so- depending on the circumstances of your SE. I've used this a number of times when SEing various online stores, and Its success rate remains at 100% to date- which means that It will also work In your favor, namely because there's hardly any effort to execute this type of manipulation. Anyone with half a brain would know that a "business trip" Is exactly that- travelling to another location (work-wise), hence your time away from your place of residence Is Inevitable.
In Conclusion:
As already mentioned midway through this article, the likelihood of being asked to leave your package/box open for the carrier to Inspect Its contents, Is somewhat slim but It doesn't exclude the probability of It happening at some stage during your social engineering activities. I'm the type of SE'er who covers every angle and leaves nothing to chance, thus I ensure my readers that their SEing experience will be performed with minimal complications and disruptions. In closing, you now know how to Identify the carrier who will be servicing your delivery, as well as how & why they personally check your goods and how to circumvent It In a very effective fashion. Obviously, not everything will apply to your SE, so pick the events that are of relevance and most Importantly, the ones you're confident In utilizing to their full potential.
