Many people in Switzerland receive packages they have never ordered, accompanied by their invoice. A mishap that can cost time and money. Manon Renaud, jurist at the FRC, gives his advice to deal with such a situation.
“In recent years, this problem has been up to it. We receive more and more requests,” confirms Manon Renaud, lawyer at the FRC, in the show on August 11, 2025.
Identity usurpation or simple error
“Any not ordered package received is not necessarily an identity theft,” explains Manon Renaud. “In any case, when you receive an unused package, you must contact the company and contest the invoice. The company may respond that your customer account and your address have been used. There, we can ask for traceability: when was the order made? What information was used? It is at this time that we can realize if we were the victim of an identity theft.”
What to do in this case? “In addition to explaining its case to the company and contesting the invoice, it must be specified to them that the package is at its disposal for 30 days if it wishes to recover it. The company can also request the filing of a criminal complaint. This is not compulsory, but highly recommended to simplify the procedures and allow the victim to protect himself, attesting to his good faith.”
Invoice purchases make the usurpation even easier
How do malicious people proceed to order a package using our identity? “This can be an account hacking, but unfortunately, it is quite easy to obtain the name and address of someone. If the company’s site on which we order allows a purchase on invoice, this is even easier. In general, the usurper will receive the notifications for monitoring the package by email. When the package arrives, it recovers it, but it leaves the bill.”
Steps that take time and money
After challenging the invoice, what to do if we receive invoice reminders from the company having sent the package? “We must also dispute them. The best is to take these steps in writing or by email to have evidence. You can also ask the company to confirm that you have nothing to pay in writing.”
Depending on the company, the procedures can cost dearly, for example by sending recommended letters or by calling abroad. Can we request a refund from the companies concerned? “We can understand the approach, but in this case, it is not the companies that sent the package to take care of these amounts. This would in fact be to the usurper to compensate the victim.”
Contacted by we talk about it, Amazon and Riverty call to turn to their customer service in case of doubt and say they make data protection a priority.
Radio subject: Anne-Julie Ruz
Adaptation Web: Myriam Semani