THE MISSING ITEM METHOD
As its name implies, SE'ers frequently use this phrase to claim that when they opened the "package/box" that the carrier had delivered, the item they had ordered from an online retailer was missing.
Let's say, for illustration purposes, that you bought a CPU from Currys, a UK electrical retailer, and had it delivered to your house by their delivery service. You would phone them after "opening the box" and claim that nothing was inside, indicating that the CPU was gone. Your intention would be to ask them for a refund or replacement.
Alternatively, you might state that the entire box and the CPU were missing when you "opened the gift," implying there was nothing inside. Let me describe how each of these options functions.
Basically, the manufacturer neglected to put the Item In the box and sent It to the company, thus only the box was delivered to you. I recommend using the missing Item method with Items no greater than 120 grams In weight.
THE CORRUPTED FILE METHOD
Some businesses ask the SE to submit a picture of the item along with other identifying information, such as its serial number and possibly a handwritten note, in order to complete the request for a refund or replacement. This is done to ensure that the item does, in fact, belong to the account holder. The representative will accept the claim and issue a refund or send out a new item once the image has been sent and meets the aforementioned requirements.
Social engineers employ the "corrupted file method" to get around this by sending a file that isn't openable because it is corrupted.
The corporation will undoubtedly request it again, and the social engineer will continue sending the corrupted file, but in a "different file format every time"—just to create the impression that he's making every effort to follow business policy and take care of the issue at hand. The SE'er will reassure the representative that everything is running smoothly on his end and then politely but firmly complain about why such a straightforward task cannot be accomplished. The SE has a decent chance of success if they "persist and don't take no for an answer."
The goal is for the business to agree and proceed with the refund or replacement.
THE LEAKING BATTERY METHOD
While social designing any Thing that expects batteries to work, as Its name recommends, SE'ers utilize the "spilling battery technique" to guarantee that the Thing they've requested from a given internet-based retailer, was conveyed with Its batteries spilling. Naturally, nothing of the sort has occurred; rather, it merely suggests that the item was not received in its original condition and that the company is obligated to honor their end of the bargain by providing a replacement or refund.
Let's say, for instance, that the item is referred to as a "laptop," and the SE'er claims that the carrier delivered the item with a leaking battery. It Is without a doubt, that the organization will request to return It and they'll coordinate a discount/substitution when gotten. In contrast, the representative will instruct the social engineer to take photographs of the defective product with its serial number clearly visible in the image and a handwritten note attached.
Regardless of the circumstance, it is simple to manipulate either request. The "disposed of the faulty Item" method can be used to send it back, or the customer will choose a company that uses a carrier that doesn't take dangerous or hazardous goods, so they won't send the laptop. The "corrupted file method" described above will be applied to the photo in order to SE the agent or rep.
THE CROSS-SHIPPING METHOD
Cross-shipping occurs when a company sends a replacement item and the customer sends back the defective item at the same time. In essence, the customer receives the replacement item while the company receives the defective item. In a legitimate setting, this is how it works, but not in the SEing world. To begin, the SE'er will "research the company's terms" to fully comprehend the Cross-Shipping procedure.
For instance, prior to sending the replacement item, some businesses charge the customer's account for the item's value and then credit the customer's account when they receive the defective item. This guarantees that the business will not be conned.
By selecting a business that does not adhere to that policy, the SE'er will avoid this.
Consider the scenario in which the SE'er asserts a GPU replacement. He will request a "Cross Ship" after it has been approved, and the representative will issue an "RMA" (return merchandise authorization). In that capacity, the organization sends the substitution and the social architect Is intended to send the defective Thing which Isn't true by any stretch of the imagination. The SE'er will send an "empty box" in place of a return, and since the company has already sent the replacement at the same time, the SE'er is confident that he will always receive it!
He will use a "drop house/address" as the delivery location to avoid being tracked. Naturally, the account details and payment system used to make the initial purchase (the "GPU") are fake. A "one-time VCC" (Virtual Credit Card) with fictitious information anonymizes the payment, and it is not difficult to falsify the account information.
THE BOXING METHOD
When major online retailers like Amazon, Logitech, and others use social engineering to convince customers that they received the wrong item or that it is defective, they typically ask for the item to be sent back before providing a replacement or refund. Evidently, the SE'er wants to keep it, so in order to (apparently) comply with their request, he will use the "box method," also known as "boxing," which entails returning a box with nothing inside. Alternatively, if the original item is particularly heavy, a weight substitute, such as "dry ice," will be used to give the impression that it does in fact contain the item during shipping.
Despite how straightforward this may appear, it is essential to meticulously prepare the return, leaving nothing to chance. Let me lay out exactly what this entails in the following manner.
The social engineer packs "dry ice," which is frozen carbon dioxide that sublimates (turns into gas), in the box, not the item. He will tear the box or package and seal it with different colored tape to give the impression that it was tampered with during transportation. The dry ice would have sublimated (changed into gas) by the time the company got it, and because the box was taped, they would think the item was stolen and approve the claim.
In contrast to boxing with dry ice, the social engineer will still tear and tape the box even if the item is extremely light (less than 120 grams), but they will not put anything inside. Because it is so light, it will not register at the weighing facilities of the carrier. As a result, the shipment cannot be cross-checked, and the outcome will be the same—a win for the SE'er.
THE DOUBLE DIP METHOD
The term "double dipping!" refers to the practice of SE'ing the same company and the same item twice. This is the procedure. We'll assume that the social engineer wants to SE two AirPods from the same manufacturer for free.
First, he chooses to use the "DNA" (Did Not Arrive) method and orders just one pair. They decide to send out a new set of AirPods after satisfying the company that the item was (apparently) not received. The social engineer now owns two AirPods, but only one of them was purchased for him. This is a common SE. The double dip is the next step.
The SE'er then calls the business and complains that the recently delivered replacement AirPods are defective. The representative requests that they be sent back after going through a few standard troubleshooting steps. The "box method" is used by the SE'er, who only sends back the box without the item. Keep in mind, the social designer actually has two AirPods yet just paid for one. The representative gives the AirPods back because she believes they were taken while in transit.
Overall, "two AirPods were SEd," one via DNA and the other via the box method. To put it another way, the items were "double-dipped." The SE'er has two AirPods without having to pay for either one because they were refunded.
THE FAKE RECEIPT METHOD
As with every SE, there is always a way around any obstacle. In this case, the social engineer will make a fake receipt and send it to the customer service representative for a refund. However, it must be carried out in a methodical manner, which brings me to my next point. It is not as simple as creating it in a few minutes and leaving it at that.
It is essential that the "fake receipt matches the format and layout of the original receipt" in order to avoid inconsistencies. The SE'er will use a different account to buy something from the same company and then compare the real receipt to his fake one. He'll likewise utilize the request number from the first receipt however just change two digits, so when the organization punches It Into their framework and It doesn't appear, It gives the feeling that It's an organization mistake on their end.
If you want to make a fake receipt, an online generator like this one works well. If you want to make a receipt that comes from a store's cash register and is printed, this website has many ways to copy the original. Alternatively, the social engineer will use Photoshop to edit PSD templates offered by SE'ers that are tailored to particular stores. They're all equally effective, so you'll get a refund no matter which option you choose.
THE DNA METHOD
The "DNA" (Did Not Arrive) method is used to say that the package that was supposed to be delivered by the carrier driver did not arrive at its intended address, which is the SE's address, as its name suggests. Naturally, the social engineer received it, but he claimed otherwise for SEing purposes.
Because it is "carrier-based," this method works for any business that sends goods to customers via a carrier service. Additionally, unless you're, um, social engineering a house, Because it is not specifically associated with any items, its dimensions and weight generally do not have an effect. The only thing that should be of concern is claiming that the delivery did not reach its address and receiving a replacement or refund.
However, when choosing an Item, good judgment and common sense must be used. For instance, the carrier will not drop off a large "1000 L fridge" at the doorstep without a signature. Despite this, SE'ers use the DNA method with great precision by taking advantage of a significant flaw in the method by which businesses determine when packages have been delivered. You see, just because a package is marked "delivered" doesn't mean that the sender personally received it.
That is, the carrier carried it to the "correct house" and did his job correctly, but the SE'er did not "personally accept" it. It could have been taken from the doorstep or signed for by a passerby! As can be seen, there is a significant difference between the two, which is what makes this approach so successful.
THE SEALED BOX METHOD
The advantage of the "sealed box method" is that there is no initial outlay—you can use anything you like to replace the original item in the box, resulting in a profit of 100 percent—as opposed to the wrong item received method, in which you must purchase a cheap item and send it when the company requests a return.
The process is as follows: Let's say you intend to SE an Amazon GPU. At the point when you've got It, you can send It back for a discount by utilizing their return choices (model: erroneously purchased, no longer required, etc.), but rather than sending back the graphics card, you pack anything you have lying around the house in the original box and send that instead. Now, it's not as easy to just throw something in and let it go.
First and foremost, "the Item that you're substituting, must weigh the same as the GPU" (or whatever Item you're using at the time) and "seal the box precisely as per the manufacturer's packing" are of greater importance.
The goal is to not show any signs of tampering with how you opened and sealed the box so that when the company scans it and puts it back in their inventory, they will give you a refund to your account. "The box must be fully covered in cardboard," which means that the contents cannot be seen from the outside, is another important requirement. In short, this method is so effective because the representative won't need to check the contents of the sealed box if it doesn't have any inconsistencies.
THE FTID METHOD
The majority of SEers believe that this actually works every time, but I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. As a result, you should not bother wasting your valuable time, resources, or money on such ineffective BS. There is one method that offers a "better" (not great, but better) chance of success; however, a tutorial on that method is beyond the scope of this post. You can find my guide by using this blog's search feature.
Regarding the method itself, "FTID" refers to the practice of showing the tracking number as delivered despite the absence of any physical or administrative record of the package in the company's warehouse. This is based on the SE'er returning the item or package in accordance with the request of the company.
One technique Is (as far as anyone knows) done by changing the collector's location on the transportation mark, however, leave the following number immaculate, consequently the transporter driver will convey It as per the location on the name in particular to the Erroneous objective. As a result, the tracking number will indicate that the physical package was sent to a different location despite being sent to the correct location.
Given the transporter's work on a filtering framework at the "assortment point", something similar with really looking at the bundle In at "their terminal" and furthermore at the "drop off point", how in the world Is this expected to work? That amounts to "three individual scans" from the sender to the recipient! based on delivery locally). Does the author of this piece of garbage truly believe that, solely on the basis of what is written on the label, the driver will forget to scan the package three times before delivering it?
THE BROKEN GLASS METHOD
Ordering an item from a company that uses a carrier service to ship goods to their customers is essential if you want to take full advantage of this method's potential. If the item is damaged in transit, the "carrier" is responsible, not the social engineer. In the event that you haven't previously speculated by the title of this point, the significant downside of the messed up glass technique, Is that It's restricted to particular kinds of Things to be specific those that are vulnerable to breakages like fragrances and colognes.
That in any case doesn't suggest that the strategy Is Inadequate. In point of fact, it is one of the few strategies that work consistently on almost every occasion, regardless of the company or type of carrier utilized, provided that the SE'er applies it in a calculated and strategic manner.
You ask, "How so?" Given that the goal of this strategy is, for instance, to purchase a perfume bottle and then claim that it was damaged when the recipient opened the package, it would be extremely difficult—if not impossible—for the carrier to demonstrate the opposite. From the collection point, through the carrier's depot, and all the way to its final destination, the social engineer's address, anything could have happened to it. In addition and say what shouldn't need to be said, "glass Is delicate" and Regardless of how well It's safeguarded, "It can break" while going through countless hands during shipment.
In essence, the SE'er will claim that the bottle was broken upon receipt of the goods and receive approval for the claim. The SE'er will either use Photoshop or the "corrupted file method" if the company requests proof, such as a picture of the broken glass. In either case, you'll get a replacement or a refund.
THE CORRUPTED VIDEO METHOD
This strategy is very similar to the "corrupted file method," except that instead of a file, the "video" will be manipulated in a very strategic way that leaves very little room for error. The role of "you" as the social engineer in this guide is as follows.
Since you're asking a company for a "functional item" that you didn't buy in the first place, they'll start by going through a few common troubleshooting steps and you'll probably say that it still doesn't work. The representative will ask you to take a video of the defective item and, for example, upload it to YouTube before deciding whether a refund or replacement can be issued. He might also want you to include a handwritten note to make sure what you're saying is true.
This may appear to be a difficult obstacle to overcome, but believe me when I say that simply uploading any video and "changing a single character in the URL" is all it takes to get around their request. The positive aspect of this is that "It will still show that It is hosted on YouTube," implying that you have complied with their instructions but that they are to blame for not being able to view it.
They will probably keep asking you to send the link, so you keep doing it and complain about how they can't handle such a simple task. The goal is to make them responsible for the situation rather than the other way around. With persistence and a determined attack, they will eventually agree with your claim.
THE GIFT METHOD
The representative will typically request the "POP" (Proof of Purchase) during the majority of refunds and SEs. Only after the "POP" has been obtained will the claim be processed in favor of the SE'er. Since he does not appear to have the POP, the social engineer will employ "the gift method" by claiming that the item was given to him by a friend.
Because the gifter no longer has the POP and didn't see the need to keep it, this method tends to be quite successful in avoiding it. After all, if someone has given the item as a gift, why would they keep the receipt? I definitely don't, and I'm sure you don't either. The majority of the time, the social engineer's account is credited or a replacement is sent, but there are times when he is asked to send it back because it is broken or inoperable.
Be assured that this can be avoided by selecting the item's characteristics selectively. The SE'er only needs to use the "box method," which has already been discussed in a few previous topics. The choice of item is very light, so it won't show up on the carrier's manifest because it would be difficult to use dry ice as a weight substitute. With everything taken into account, the SE Is bound to succeed.
THE DISPOSED OF FAULTY ITEM METHOD
At the point when a Thing Is bought that requires some sort of usefulness to work, for example, a PC or PC console, the truth of the matter Is that It doesn't generally come transported In Its perfect condition. Manufacturing flaws are inevitable, and while the majority are discovered and fixed during the final inspection by the quality control team, many go unnoticed and end up in the hands of the customer.
Social engineers are well aware of this and use the "disposed of the faulty item method" to their advantage by being extremely selective about the item's nature and, most importantly, the reason they decided to discard it. The method can be applied to a product that has already been purchased or to an item that is still covered by a warranty using the "serial number method."
In general, this is how it works. I will use an "electric toothbrush" as the defective item for this guide. The customer will contact the representative to request a refund; however, in order for the refund to be processed, the representative will require that the item be returned—a practice that is standard with virtually every online retailer. Naturally, the SE'er is one step ahead of the game and states: The toothbrush exploded while my son was using it, so I immediately threw it away out of concern for his safety. In addition to that, he will mention the following: He got a burn on his hand, but the doctor said it wasn't anything to worry about, which is good.
Might you at any point see what simply occurred here? In addition to citing health and safety as the reason for disposing of the item, the SE'er ensured that it appeared to have harmed his son. Organizations treat well-being and security exceptionally in a serious way and given the seriousness of the conditions In question, a discount was Given without any inquiries posed.
THE RESHIP METHOD
Before I get into that, a reship can also be used for legitimate reasons, such as when shipping restrictions prevent packages from being delivered to your current address. As a result, a reshipping company will forward the package to you and accept it on your behalf. Is that clear? Good.
However, social engineers have other purposes, one of which is the utilization of an "AR" (Advanced Replacement). This occurs when the business sends a replacement item to the customer. Once the item arrives at the customer, he is required to return the defective item, and if he does not, his account will be charged for the replacement item's cost.
The "reship method" (also known as the "reshipping method") takes effect here in the following manner. The online store sends the package to the warehouse of the reshipping company, not the SE's address, once it has been dispatched. The social engineer will receive it via the reshipping service.
Presently to add one more layer of namelessness, the SE'er will utilize a phony record and a "drop address", in this manner will acknowledge the conveyance from the reship organization at the "drop address"- that Is, at another person's home! As a result, the SE'er cannot be identified, creating the ideal setting for "Advanced Replacements" in which he will happily receive the replacement item without any concerns regarding the company billing his account.
THE WRONG ITEMS RECEIVED METHOD
This method is not only the most widely used among SE'ers but also the most adaptable, making it applicable to any business with a stock warehouse. Unless you want to "social engineer" a car, in a sense!, "The wrong Item Received Method" is so effective because there are almost no restrictions on the type of item to be sent.
Furthermore, the method's success rate is bolstered by the fact that mistakes are made when picking and packing orders in every warehouse setting. The SE'er will, as the name suggests, purchase a product from Amazon, for instance, and discover when he opens the package that he received the incorrect item. That is, he received something other than what he had originally paid for. It should come as no surprise that this is not the case at all.
Subsequent to calling the rep and Educating him regarding the blunder, the SE'er will be expected to send the (evident) wrong Thing back anyway as basic as It might sound, the technique should be ready In an orderly way to guarantee the most obvious opportunity with regards to progress, and watch and learn. Let's say the original item is an approximately 210-gram "iPhone XS." On a different account, the SE'er will purchase a low-cost item from Amazon that weighs roughly the same as the phone.
His is the incorrect item, which he will return. Now, when they get it and scan it, it will show that it is in their inventory. Because they will think they sent it wrong, the SE's account will be credited with the price of the iPhone.
THE SERIAL NUMBER METHOD
The most common strategy for social engineering online retailers like Logitech, Argos, and so on is to buy the item first and then use one of the standard methods. The primary benefit of this philosophy, Is that you have (where relevant) more than one reasonable technique, thus can choose the one that is probably going to help you out. When funds are readily available, it's all well and good, but not every SE'er has the means to pay for it, which is when "the serial number method" comes into play.
This obviously applies to items with serial numbers, like computer keyboards, speakers, AirPods, SSDs (Solid State Drives), and so on. For obvious reasons, the item must be covered by warranty before the claim process can begin. If you don't have the item in your possession, then how do you obtain a valid serial number? The item will be yours, but only temporarily, if you play your cards right. Here's how.
From a third-person perspective, the social engineer is referred to in this. He will purchase the same item from a specific company once he has selected the item he wishes to SE, open the box, locate and note the serial number, and return the item for a refund. After that, the SE'er will get in touch with "another company" that has the same item on hand and tell the representative that it isn't working. The representative will then go through a series of routine troubleshooting steps to determine whether or not a refund is necessary, and the item will be credited to his account in full. Now, there are some disadvantages to using a serial number.
For instance, the SE'er might be required to submit a "POD" (Proof of Destruction) consisting of a video that clearly demonstrates that the item has been destroyed by drilling holes in it, cutting the cord, breaking buttons, and so on.
THE PARTIAL METHOD
If you haven't already, please go back and read the "missing item method" section of this article. then you won't have any trouble understanding what this means. The "partial method," also known as "partial," refers to placing multiple orders from an online store while claiming that your order was only partially fulfilled. In other words, let's say you bought five things and only got three or four of them.
Similar to the missing item method, this one involves purchasing multiple items from the same shipment and then claiming that one or more were not in the box or package when you opened it. The item(s) that will be SEd must be extremely light and not have a weight recorded on the shipment in order for this to work. As a result, the company cannot cross-check the details with the carrier's records. I recommend a weight of no more than 120 grams because that is too much.
Here is a brief illustration of its application from the perspective of SE'ers. He's submitted a request for 6 Things Altogether, one of which Is a couple of Beam Boycott Justin Rectangular Shades gauging around 29 grams-this Is the thing he'll be SEing. The SE'er waited 20 to 30 minutes for his delivery, then called the business to explain that the sunglasses were missing when he opened the package.
They started an investigation to find out why there was a difference between what was sent and what was received, as was to be expected. However, because the sunglasses were so light, they couldn't tell where the difference was.
Now you have all the basic methods to start SEing. If this thread helped you out drop a like