All About Police Reports

Everything You Need To Know About Police Reports

Every social engineer who hits companies to the likes of Zalando, GoPro, Amazon, Apple, Nike, SteelSeries etc, differs to some degree In the way they manipulate representatives to credit their account for the full cost of the purchase product, or get a replacement Item dispatched while they still get to keep the original one. For Instance, some SE'ers are gifted In the art of "company manipulation and exploitation", hence everything they aim to achieve such as using the (somewhat) complex disposed of the faulty Item method, or perhaps pushing reps to their limit with the corrupted file method, Is done with relative ease - It's all second nature to them, and does not require too much effort to get the job done.

The same applies when asked to sign a statutory declaration, or put pen to paper on an affidavit - due to their years of experience In dealing with such documents, advanced SE'ers have attained the expertise to effectively make decisions on the spot without having an Impact on their claim In any way, shape, or form. However, the same cannot be said about beginner social engineers - specifically those who've just started their SEing career with very little to no knowledge of how to formulate a traditional method, and the way to flawlessly execute the attack vector with no suspicion raised.

Moreover, beginners would be at a loss as to the best course of action to take when reps/agents ask them to sign and return the above-mentioned paperwork (stat dec & affidavit), as well as other types of documents - of which a "police report" Is a very common request by companies that operate on a medium to large scale. If you're reading this from the same standpoint, and you're confused as to why you've been told to file a "PR" (Police Report) and you're not sure whether or not It's safe to do so, rest assured, I've got you covered! 

Even If you're well-acquainted with "PRs" and pretty much know the Ins and outs of how to tackle them, I strongly suggest continuing with this article - as I'm sure there are a few bits & pieces that're unbeknownst to you, thus you'll definitely benefit from any or all of the topics below. What you will learn In today's lesson and as per the title of this guide, Is "all about police reports", whereby once you've finished absorbing every detail, all your questions and concerns pertaining to "PRs" will be answered In full. So, without further delay, let's get this started.    

What Is A Police Report?

Even If you've dealt with "police reports" (often abbreviated as "PR") on a number of occasions, I have no doubt there are some things you're not familiar with, so don't skip anything from this point onwards. It's human nature when SE'ers hear the word "police", they Instantly assume they'll be In some sort of trouble with the law, or perhaps the Feds will bust their door down at 5:30am and start reading out their rights. I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.

Law enforcement agencies have more Important things to do, than to waste their time on a one-off Incident that suggests (for example) you did not receive your Item. So why do companies request a PR, and what do they do with It once It's received? I'll answer all your concerns and put your mind at ease. It's basically nothing more than a bit of paperwork to say that everything you have said about your SE, Is true and correct to the best of your knowledge, therefore "It's simply required to move forward with your claim".

To give you a better understanding, here's an analogy that you can relate to. If you've been Involved In a minor motor vehicle accident, you'd contact the police and when they arrive, they'll ask you a series of questions about the events that took place. To claim the cost on Insurance, you'd "file a police report and the cops will put It on record". Your Insurance company will then use the Information on the report (along with other bits & pieces) to process the claim, and repair the damage on your case - free of charge. 

All that Is no different to filing a police report when social engineering - as long as your SE appears legit without any suspicion raised whatsoever, then there's no cause for concern. The PR will be over and done with, and stored at the police station purely for record keeping, thus If you're asked to hand one In, you now know what to expect - don't panic and comply with the rep's Instructions by attending your local police station, or (where permitted) file one online. However, many SE'ers Instead choose to fake a police report, which brings me to the next topic below.  

Never Falsify A Police Report

When your claim Is actively being assessed by a customer service rep, If there's not enough details to finalize It, you'll be told to get a police report - particularly when using the "DNA" (Did Not Arrive) method and for some stupid reason, It's also triggered by the "EB/missing Item method" (more on these In the last topic). Some companies will ask for a PR without any specific Information, while others will email you a breakdown with what they'd like to be Included In the report. Here's a request from a company I was personally SEing:

"Hello (name)"

Along with the requested copy of the police report, please provide the following Information:

- The number of the police report

- The name & rank of the associated precinct

- The name & phone number of the police station

- The crime reference number

- If the report was made online, an email or reference number Is needed"

As you can see, there's quite a few details that must be provided and If you fail to comply will any or all of the above, the representative has every right to terminate your claim. Now If you think that you can get away with giving fake details, think again. They're requesting the Information for a reason, and not just for the sake of It, meaning It may well be used to cross-check Its authenticity. I've always recommended to "never falsify a police report" and after reading the example below (which Is a genuine reply), you'll realize exactly why the report must be legit.

"Hello (name)

We write to tell you that unfortunately we are not able to verify the details of the police report you provided. The document does not have an 'official' police letter head and Is not stamped to show It's an official document. Furthermore, Its associated details do not correspond with our Inquiries, therefore we're not able to provide further assistance In this matter.

Thank you for your understanding"

That conclusively demonstrates that reps/agents do (at times) follow up police reports, and If you create a fake one, your claim being rejected by the company Is the least of your worries - you may find yourself putting on your favourite suit to attend a court hearing - should the police decide to arrest you and lay charges. The message Is loud and clear - "never give a fictitious report", believe me, the legal consequences of faking a PR, Is not worth taking the risk!  

Why It's Safe To File A Police Report

It's all well and good If you're an advanced SE'er who's been In the scene for many years to date, or perhaps operating as a refunder by offering your services to Inexperienced social engineers - you'd be well aware of what a police report entails. However, It's a different story altogether for those who've just started exploiting companies and have been unexpectedly hit with a PR - they'd be clueless as to why It's happened, as well as how It should be handled. If you're part of this equation, I'd like to reassure you that It's perfectly safe to file a police report  for the following reasons.

If you've formulated your method to perfection by leaving very little to no room for error and launched your attack vector by giving the Impression that It's a legitimate claim, suspicion will not be raised, hence when the representative asks you to file & return a PR, he's basing It on genuine grounds. As a result, neither the company nor the police department Is Inclined to take the matter (your SE) further - there's absolutely no reason for It, so why should they? Can you see why there's nothing to worry about? Good! All In all, be sure your SE does not show any signs of social engineering, and a request for a PR will not be a problem.  

Companies That Remain Adamant With A Police Report

What you're about to read Is accurate at the time of writing, but Is subject to change If new policies are Implemented by the companies discussed In this topic. Okay, while there are a lot of retailers that can be manipulated Into dismissing the need to file a police report, there are a couple of companies that remain adamant and refuse to budge with their request, regardless of how hard you try to convince them Into disregarding the PR. The stores I'm referring to Is "Apple" and "Amazon" - In every region.

To make matters worse, your SE will not move forward until the report Is provided and If you don't comply with what's asked of you, It may well lead to the claim being closed. Moreover, apart from communicating with reps who are stubborn with their demand for a PR and try to make things as difficult as possible for you, there are many that're just plain stupid and totally lack common sense. And Irrespective of the amount of times you explain the events of your SE, their pea-brain cannot absorb the Information given to them - they'll Ignore you and repeatedly tell you to get the report.

It can be very frustrating dealing with thick-headed representatives, but the key to keep your SE flowing In the right direction, Is to stay cool, calm, and collected throughout the entire process. In my experience and also that of fellow SE'ers who I've liaised with and assisted over the years, It Is extremely difficult, If not Impossible, to circumvent a request for a PR from reps/agents working at Apple or Amazon. Sure, you can certainly give It a shot to try and bypass It, but why complicate the situation when there's no reason to? My recommendation: Simply file the police report and get It over and done with.

Methods That Trigger A Police Report

Every method has Its pros and cons and while you have full control of It when It's In your local environment, the moment It's executed and Is In the hands of the company's reps, you cannot predict the steps taken as your claim moves from one stage to the next, thus a PR may come your way when you least expect It. Even though you well and truly know that a police report Is only required for administration purposes to keep the claim moving, you may be the type of social engineer who's not comfortable and/or lacks confidence In dealing with an officer of the law, therefore you'd rather avoid It altogether.

On the other hand, you're an SE'er who doesn't mind filing a report - regardless of the circumstances surrounding your claim. Whatever the case may be, It's vital to Identify "methods that predominantly trigger a police report" and to help you along the way, I've listed four below - three of which, are almost guaranteed to send you to your local police station! At the end of each subtopic, I've also outlined why the method triggered the PR. So, let's begin with the good old "DNA method". 

The DNA Method

Before I make a start, I'd like you to make a mental note of why a PR Is requested with every method from this point onwards. If you haven't worked It out yet, It's because "there's a theft-related Incident Involved", hence you'll be Instructed by the representative to report It to a law enforcement agency. Evidently, nothing of the sort (theft) has happened, you're just pretending It did for the purpose of your SE. Now that you understand It, the "DNA" (Did Not Arrive) method Is used to say that the package that was scheduled for delivery by the carrier, did not arrive at Its Intended destination - being your home, drop address or any other location used to accept deliveries.

Now there are many occasions when the driver "leaves the package at the doorstep" and Immediately exists thereafter, particularly when he's running late for his scheduled delivery run. When this happens, the DNA method has a very high success rate - for the fact that "you did not personally receive your package", your "address" did! The same applies when putting a "fake signature" - anyone could've signed, even the driver himself. 

Under those circumstances, It's Ideal to hit the DNA, for the reason that "the package was NOT personally handed to you", thus "you" did not receive It. And If the company tries to use GPS/tracking to confirm the package made It's way to the correct house, It's absolutely useless. Why Is that, you ask? Well tracking only marks goods delivered to an "address" and not to a "person", so be sure to remember this the next time you put the DNA method Into action.

Why A Police Report Will Be Triggered: When the package Is left unattended at the doorstep and (seemingly) stolen, It becomes a theft-related Incident, which justifies the need to report It to the police and file the PR.  

The Missing Item Tampered Method

If this Is the first time you've visited this blog, I'd say It's safe to assume that you have never heard of the "missing Item tampered method", correct? I though as much. That's because I'm the author of the method by naming It as such, and I can confidently say It's one of the most effective methods that you'll have the pleasure of using. So what exactly Is It, and how do you formulate It? Well, It's based on the same principle as the "missing Item method" (more on this soon!), but with a slight variation In how It's executed as follows.

Instead of a warehouse or manufacturer error being responsible for not receiving your product, the Intention of this method Is to make It seem as though "the carrier or whoever else handled your package, tampered with It In transit" and stole your Item "just before" It was dropped off at your home (or drop house). Essentially, you'd tell the rep that the seal on the box and/or the package was torn - which Is consistent with tampering. The weight Is not Important when using the missing Item tampered method - namely because you're giving the Impression that someone opened your package, and took your Item "while It was on Its way to your address/drop house". 

So even If the company cross-checks the weight recorded at the carrier's depot and deems that your product was Inside the package, It's pretty much useless. Why? Well, "your Item was (apparently) stolen during shipment AFTER It left the depot while It was being delivered to you", so whether It's 10 grams or 10 kg Is Irrelevant -  the weight CANNOT be taken the moment It reaches your home, therefore there Is virtually no way of telling If your Item was enclosed In the package. which Is why It's destined to succeed on almost every occasion.   

Why A Police Report Will Be Triggered: Given you've said the package/box was damaged on arrival, It appears to be theft-related, so a police report Is warranted.

The Boxing Method

There are many ways that this method can be applied, but for the purpose of this guide, I'll only focus on one approach as follows. Also referred to as "box" on Its own, the "boxing method" Is used when you buy something (such as Apple AirPods), and then contact the company and say that they're not working. The rep/agent will then go through a few troubleshooting steps, to try and establish why It's not functioning as It should, and you'd obviously remain adamant that It's broken. When he's satisfied that It's (seemingly) defective, he'll ask you to return It for a refund/replacement.

Given the AirPods are so light, you'd "send the box with nothing Inside", but If your Item Is quite heavy, you'll substitute the weight with dry Ice so by the time It's delivered, the dry Ice would've sublimated (turned from Its solid form to gas), hence only an empty box will be received. The objective of the boxing method, Is similar to the missing Item tampered method that you've just read above, but the scenario Is reversed - In this case, you'd give the Impression that the Item was stolen In transit "before the company received It". 

Naturally, your package must appear as though It was tampered with and the way you do It, Is to "tear It on one side and seal It with different coloured tape". Don't overdo It though! The last thing you need, Is for the carrier driver to notice the extra tape at the collection point, thereby It will release him from liability. As a result, "you" will be held responsible for tampering with It. What I recommend, Is to cut the package to a length that's just enough for your product to slide out, and use tape that's slightly different In colour. The chance of It being Immediately noticed on pickup, will be significantly reduced, but It will still serve Its purpose - as If someone stole your Item and taped It thereafter. 

Why A Police Report Will Be Triggered: This Is the least likely method to trigger a PR, and It will only be requested to state that "you" didn't tamper with the package. 

The Double Dip Method

Typically, when social engineering online retailers to obtain a refund or replacement by using any traditional method, It's performed against one particular Item and "only done once". For Instance, you've chosen the wrong Item received method, contacted the store, and told them that another Item was In the package/box to what was originally ordered. Of course, It didn't happen - you're just saying It did to SE the company. The rep then asked you to return the wrong Item and when he received It, your funds were reimbursed Into your credit card. That's how a standard SE Is done - "one Item Is SEd, and one refund or replacement Is Issued".

The "double dip method" on the other hand, requires an exceptional set of skills and a great degree of confidence to succeed - due to the fact that "the same Item will be social engineered twice" from the same company where It was purchased. In simple terms, you're "repeating the SE" on the one claim to get a refund/replacement twice. Confused? Don't worry, It'll make perfect sense In a minute or two. Now because you're SEing the company "two times In a row", to avoid raising suspicion, I strongly recommend using "two different methods" when double dipping.

Okay, let's take a close look at the double dip method In action. I'll be referencing the SE'er from a third-person standpoint, and not yourself. The social engineer wants to SE "two AirPods" from "the same company" without paying a single dime for either of them. Firstly, he orders just the one pair and uses the "DNA method". After satisfying the company that the package was (seemingly) not received, they decided to send out a "replacement" - meaning another set of AirPods. For your Information, It's absolutely crucial that a "replacement" Is dispatched on the first SE, otherwise you won't have a product to double dip!

Back to the SE, the social engineer now has two AirPods, but only paid for one. That Is how a standard SE Is performed. Next comes the "double dip". The SE'er calls the company and says that the replacement AirPods (that they just sent) are defective, and the rep asks to send them back. To circumvent It, the SE'er uses the boxing method, thus returns the box without the AirPods. Remember: So far, the social engineer still has two AirPods, but only paid for one. 

The representative thinks that the AirPods (In the return with the boxing method) were stolen In transit, so he generates a refund. As a result of every event, the SE'er has SEd two AirPods - one pair by using the DNA method, and the other using the boxing method. In other words, he's "double dipped"! Because he was given a replacement on the first dip and a refund on the last dip, he has both AirPods that didn't cost him a single penny.   

Why A Police Report Will Be Triggered: The nature of the DNA and boxing method are theft-related, so the Incidents that took place, need to be addressed with a police report. 

In Conclusion

I've specifically chosen to write about a "police report" due to It being a very common request by companies that SE'ers hit a lot more often that not - namely "Amazon" and "Apple". Furthermore, the methods that almost every SE'er utilizes being the missing Item/partial and the DNA, are responsible for triggering a PR quite regularly, therefore It's vital to have a clear understanding of precisely what should be done with the report to keep the SE moving In the right direction.

Upon reading this entire article (If you haven't, go back and do It now!), you're In a position to make an Informed decision when asked to file a police report, as well as ultimately achieve the result you're after - obtain a refund or a replacement Item. As a result, there's no reason why you'd experience any major complications and Indecisiveness, so use your skillset wisely with each and every SE that triggers a PR.