Unexpected deliveries led South Philly neighbors to uncover attempted fraud scheme

A South Philadelphia homeowner says a series of unexpected package deliveries turned out to be something far more concerning than a shipping mistake.

James Scarpella says four Xfinity routers were delivered to his home over about two months despite never ordering them. The packages were addressed to unfamiliar names.

"I thought to myself, 'Okay, I didn't request this equipment,'" Scarpella said. "'I don't understand why I'm receiving it.'"

At first, he assumed it was an error.

"I thought it was an accident and like a system glitch," he said.

But as additional routers arrived, his suspicions grew.

"There was a fourth router sitting on my front stoop, and I said, 'This has got to be a scam,'" he said.

Neighbors were getting them too

The mystery deepened when Scarpella learned several neighbors on his block were receiving similar packages.

"I thought I was the only one," he said. "And then it just escalated to like four additional households."

Scarpella said one of his biggest concerns was that someone was using his address without his knowledge.

"It felt violating that my address was being used for what seemed like a scam," he said.

When he couldn't get a clear explanation from Comcast, Scarpella contacted In Your Corner.

Comcast says stolen devices were involved

After CBS News Philadelphia contacted Comcast, the company said its security team determined bad actors had created secondary accounts at residential addresses as part of an effort to activate stolen mobile devices.

Comcast said existing safeguards blocked the fraud attempt and that affected customers' credit and existing services were not impacted. The company also said customers are not responsible for any charges.

Attempts to activate stolen mobile devices affect the entire industry and are not unique to Comcast, the company said.

"We have a team dedicated to identifying and preventing attempts to defraud the company or our customers," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "Anyone who suspects scams or fraudulent activity can report it to the Comcast Security Assurance team at https://spa.xfinity.com/contact-us, or 1-888-565-4329."

Comcast wouldn't confirm if any additional customers were impacted beyond the handful identified by CBS News Philadelphia.

What consumers should know

Scarpella and his neighbors did not lose money and their identities were not compromised. But consumer advocates say unexpected packages, bills addressed to unfamiliar people, account notices for services you never requested or other unexplained activity tied to your address can be warning signs of fraud.

While this does not appear to be a traditional "brushing" scam involving unsolicited packages sent to boost online sellers, the warning for consumers is similar. If products you aren't expecting start showing up at your address, experts say it's worth investigating rather than dismissing them as a simple mistake.

Experts recommend contacting the company involved immediately, reviewing your credit reports and considering a fraud alert if you suspect your personal information may have been misused.

For Scarpella, the mystery deliveries have finally stopped. But he hopes others learn from what happened on his block.

"I'm really happy that your investigation was able to provide me and my neighbors resolution," he said. "This is my property, and it felt violating that someone was using my address to try to game the system."

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