A B.C. woman has received more than 50 Amazon packages over the past two months – packages she never ordered.
Anca Nitu said every day returns home from work, she has a new package waiting for her on her doorstep. The problem is that she is now on the hook for customs charges of more than $300 for shipments she doesn’t want.
“It started on June 8 when I received a package from an unknown entity from the United States,” she told Global News.
“It came by UPS and was left at my door. I didn’t know what it was and I called UPS. They said they would pick it up the next day – they didn’t.”
The packages have Amazon labels on them and Nitu said she reached out to Amazon Canada, who informed her that they are not Amazon Canada packages.
“So I thought, ‘Well, maybe this is a mistake.’ But the next days, I kept receiving packages,” she said.
“I called the RCMP because I didn’t know what to do.”
Nitu said Mounties came to her home and even opened a package to inspect it. But they, too, are left wondering why the packages were coming and where they were coming from.
“An RCMP constable came, looked at the packages … took some pictures … and he said he called UPS to have them picked up the next day,“ Nitu said.
“He said they would investigate. So I waited the whole month of June while the RCMP investigated.”
The packages were never picked up, and more and more packages kept arriving.
Around a month later, Nitu said she received a voicemail from the RCMP, saying investigators “didn’t know where to begin.”
Not knowing what to do, Nitu started opening the packages and found they all had return slips within.
Langley RCMP confirmed they have an active ongoing investigation looking into the mysterious packages.
“We do have an active investigation into this occurrence with Mrs. Nitu,” Sgt. Joe Leeson said.
“We are investigating any potential identity theft as well as if her address is being used for a nefarious purpose.”
All of the packages contained women’s shoes.
“The past month or so I tried to contact the senders and the ones I was able to reach … they said Amazon provided them the address (for the returns),” Nitu said.
“These are regular people in the States who are buying shoes, who want to return them, and instead of returning them to the seller or Amazon, they are sending them to my home.”
Nitu said while Canada Post and FedEx cancelled fees for the packages, UPS has not been so co-operative. She said UPS keeps sending her bills, which are for “import fees” for crossing the border.
“UPS is a challenge. I still have 10 unpaid bills totalling a little more than $385. They have cancelled some bills but not all of them,” she said.
Global News has reached out to UPS, Canada Post, Amazon, and Amazon Canada for comment.