Signature Forgery

[chrisuk013]

Hello Fellow AB people...

I got sent a parcel by a well established online retailer yesterday and I was at home to take delivery of the item.

I then got an email from the retailer to say the item had been delivered & signed for... and that’s where the story begins...

The thing is there was no request from the delivery driver for a signature and I never signed anything...

I emailed the retailer back to ask for a copy of this signature. An hour or so later the retailer sent back a copy of the signature and of course it wasn’t mine nor did it even resemble my signature.

I made the retailer aware of this and they said they would pick this up with the delivery company(which I’m happy with), however my question is.. Is it illegal to forge a signature without consent!?

[bookbinder]

It seems that the recipient of your parcel did not forge your signature, because you say that the signature was not yours. It may be a case of obtaining goods by false pretences.

[Canary42]

A can of worms, this is very common practice amongst courier companies.

[Toorak]

At least they handed it to you. In the run up to Christmas I twice had parcels left behind the storm doors by couriers who didn’t even bother to ring the bell (I heard their footsteps on the gravel so knew they were there). I think they do it to cut down delivery times.

[bookbinder]

So, you actually received the parcel, yes?

[chrisuk013]

Bookbinder, yes I was handed the parcel which is great. My issue is that it would seem the driver has taken it upon himself to sign my signature without my permission. Has he broken the law?

[fiction-factory]

I'm not sure why you want to know- if we said yes where would you take it. are you seeking compensation or an arrest?
The best thing if you are unhappy is to complain to the courier company.
I think the couriers are under time constraints and maybe he forgot to get your signature so put his squiggle on knowing the item had been delivered so an claim for non-delivery was unlikely

[wolf63]

Slightly different - my postie signs for anything that needs to be signed for before popping it through my letterbox. He asked if this was okay in advance. It suits me and it suits him.

[aelmpvw]

even my signature written on a touch screen doesn't look my mine ...

[EDDIE51]

Yes, it is illegal ! But VERY few would even bother to check, far less actually do anything about it !

[Buenchico]

^^^ Forging someone else's signature is NOT, in itself, illegal!

To fall foul of the relevant section of the Fraud Act 2006. (s.2 'Fraud by false representation') a person would have to "intend to make a gain for himself or another, or to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss".

That clearly does NOT apply in the circumstances described by Chrisuk013, so NO criminal offence has been committed.

[Peter Pedant]

well he has issued or uttered a false document
but as far as I can see - there is no intent to gain
( actual gain is not necessary)

therefore not Fraud under the recent act

unless eek you are going to say that the gain is the lack of a need to revisit

you dont have a loss so quite honestly what is your grouse ? which I agree is not what you asked.

Is it unlawful to forge a signature without consent!?
A I suppose it depends on the circumstances the NHS act allows any jobsworth to sign the chief exec ( no really ) - but clearly he cant before you say it sign a cheque to himself for £100 000

if your daughter signs herself 'my little pony' or princess gluella or 'Meghan [princess]' I dont see that that is unlawful really under any circumstances

we had unordered goods delivered and found three cards with my name has been opened - with my address ! - we wondered if they thought I was out at work and a neighbour would rush out and say - Oh I will take it ! - that clearly would be

we both have ways of passing the time on a rather tedious brexit evening

\\my postie signs for anything that needs to be signed for // oh hahaha mine did as well until ....
it was a summons to my address not in my name hur hur hur - I wrote to the court and they shot him or something

[douglas9401]

Case law is obviously not written by couriers with 80+ drops to make before evensong.

[Peter Pedant]

// That clearly does NOT apply in the circumstances described by Chrisuk013, so NO criminal offence has been committed.//

no sorry chris non sequitur
no offence has been committed concerning the Fraud act.

[I think I will go an do some irioning[

[Peter Pedant]

yeah if osama bin laden signed his name Mohd bin Mohd in order to gain entry to this country
that would be a criminal offence and he cd be deported

oh god my spanish vocab awaits

or birf - your dear wife has a baby and you dont sign as father but as Mrs Mopp .....

I am looking at this awful brexit prog and want to learn a bit more about coronavirus
chinese have put 50m people into quarantine apparently

[ladybirder]

EDDIE do you ever bother to check that you are correct before you post your answer as fact? Are you aware this is in Law?

[THECORBYLOON]

From the CPS site

"Fraud by false representation (Section 2)

The defendant: 

made a false representation dishonestly knowing that the representation was or might be untrue or misleading with intent to make a gain for himself or another, to cause loss to another or to expose another to risk of loss."

I received an e-mail telling me I had received a package that had to be signed God and there was an image of the signature.

I had received the packaged but if had been pushed through the letterbox and the postie had written my name.

I went to the sorting office to report this and telt the manager who said he would be having words with postie.

Looking at the CPS guidance, the postie "expose[d] another to risk of loss." The postie had no idea who was in the house at the time so there was no guarantee that I would have received the item.

[THECORBYLOON]

Ignore the reference to God...

[Peter Pedant]

erm - - - God knows

(answer to the last one)

// EDDIE do you ever bother to check that you are correct before you post your answer as fact? Are you aware this is in Law?//

it is the wonderful kaleidoscope of life and Law that these thread ( yes all of them) weave a wonderful carpet of complete crap and absolute truth

Barmaid is the one to go for
mwah mwah Barmaid
the rest is wormwood