If you're a fan of this blog and have been reading my tutorials on a consistent basis, you'd be well aware that almost all articles go Into great detail to ensure that every angle Is covered by leaving nothing to chance, thus your social engineering experience Is maximized to the greatest degree possible. Even though I simplify everything by providing analogies and scenarios that my readers can relate to, for one reason or another, many SE'ers find It somewhat difficult to comprehend what's written - particularly with traditional methods used In today's world of company manipulation and exploitation - of which the "DNA method" Is part of that equation.
In other words, a lot of social engineers cannot grasp how the DNA method Is structured, nor do they understand Its formulation and Implementation against the company and Item they're planning to SE. For example, I've come across countless SE'ers who've stated that they've opted for another method due to their product being too heavy for the DNA, but If they had knowledge of Its objective, they'd realize that the weight Is Immaterial and completely Irrelevant. Moreover, they believe that GPS/tracking Info justifies receipt of goods and puts an end to the SE, which again, Is not the case at all.
As a result of all the above circumstances and an array of others discussed further down the page, I've decided to put together a beginner's guide that's unlike my other tutorials documented on this blog. What you're about to read, Is designed to answer all your questions and concerns by giving you a clear understanding of the DNA method In a brief, straight to the point and very easy to follow manner. Each detail Is kept to a minimum, yet addressing the topic at hand efficiently and effectively, therefore you'll be able to Interpret Its content with Incredible ease. So without further delay, let's get this started.
DNA Method Introduction
DNA Is an abbreviation of "Did Not Arrive" and as Its name Implies, It's used to say that the package that was scheduled for delivery by the carrier driver, did not arrive at your residential home, drop house or any other location used to accept deliveries. Of course, you did received It, but you're claiming otherwise for SEing purposes. Because you're giving the Impression that you're still waiting for the driver to drop It off, you're not supposed to know when It came, so It's always good practice to contact the representative the next day, and ask him why they haven't delivered It.
Depending on the company you're social engineering, they may say to check with the neighbours to see whether your package was accidently handed over to them, or the rep/agent may tell you to wait a few days to see If It turns up and If It doesn't, to give him a call back and he'll try and locate Its whereabouts. It's at this stage when your claim may become somewhat complicated, lengthy and (sometimes) certain types of documents are requested to be signed & returned, which brings me to the next topic.
What To Expect With The DNA Method
As with every method, the DNA has Its pros and cons and further to the topic above, the disadvantage Is Its commonality to trigger what's called an Investigation. There are (generally) a couple of reasons why an Investigation takes place. The first Is liaising with the carrier and cross-checking their GPS/tracking records to determine why the package did not make Its way to the correct destination - your address or drop house. The second one Is, the company thinks the lost package Is due to a theft-related Incident, such as the driver leaving It unattended at your doorstep and It was stolen thereafter.
When that (seemingly) happens, there Is a high possibility that you'll be asked to file and return a police report - just to confirm that everything you've said about not receiving your package, Is true and correct to the best of your knowledge. On some occasions, the need to put pen to paper on a statutory declaration Is also a requirement, which serves a similar purpose to a police report - stating you're not lying about the Information you've provided. While every event may sound rather frightening, I can assure you that there's no cause for concern. An "Investigation", "police report" and a "statutory declaration" Is simply part of their protocol to move forward with your claim and nothing more.
Items Suited To The DNA Method
The biggest advantage of the DNA method, Is Its flexibility pertaining to the nature of the Items It can be used with. Unlike most other methods like the missing Item, partial, wrong Item received and many more, the DNA Is not tied to any specific weight and size, hence unless you're looking to SE a family home (so to speak!), you can select any product that comes to mind - for the reason that you're purely claiming the package didn't arrive. It doesn't matter If It weighs 40 grams or 40 pounds, the fact Is the driver neglected to drop off your package, thus the weight & size has no relevance whatsoever.
But be realistic with your SE by exercising common sense and good judgement. For Instance, If you're going to social engineer a 78 Inch commercial refrigerator weighing 615 pounds at a cost of over 3,000$, It will not be dumped at your doorstep without any form of verification. The company will take extra care to make sure It's delivered correctly, by (for example) arranging an OTP (One-Time Password) and If you're not home, It will either be taken back to the carrier's depot, or redirected to a secure collection point. If you're planning to SE phones, speaker systems, articles of clothing etc, then the DNA will suffice the lot.
What Is Tracking And Why Is It Useless?
To keep an eye on consignments as they're travelling through the network, and to help ensure packages arrive to the correct destination, the majority of carrier companies use "tracking" - which basically shows where the package Is located at any given time, and when It's expected to reach the receiver. When SE'ers put In a claim using the DNA method, the company will try to use tracking Information to confirm the package was successfully delivered to the right "address", and they'll use those (tracking) details to attempt to decline your claim.
Notice how I've quoted "address" just above? That's because tracking can ONLY verify shipments to an "address" and not to a "person", which essentially means "you" did not personally receive the package, your "address" did! As a result, anything could've happened to It - a passerby stole It or perhaps your neighbour did the same thing, or maybe the driver himself took It - yes, I've witnessed It quite a number of times. So when hitting the DNA method, always stick to the story that "you did not personally receive your package" - which Is why tracking confirmation Is useless.
How To Effectively Sign With A Fake Signature
Almost every carrier who operates on a large scale to the likes of FedEx, DHL, UPS, DPD and so forth, have protocols that they must comply with and a very common procedure they use to mark their consignments as delivered, Is to request a signature when handing over packages to their customers. As with tracking that you've just read above, a signature Is pretty much futile - for the fact that anyone could've signed for It, even the carrier driver, especially when he's running late for his scheduled delivery run.
To help render a signature void, social engineers do not sign with their real name and even though (for the most part) It's enough to convince the representative that It doesn't belong to them, I'll show you how to effectively fake It, thereby It will not be associated to your real Identity In any way, shape, or form. It's done by signing with a name that's completely different to yours, but In a way that "It's somewhat legible/readable". As such, the rep/agent will read It and see the mismatch between that and your real name, hence he cannot possibly link It to you. All In all, you're In the clear!
The Carrier Driver Taking Photos
In the absence of both a signature and an OTP, a few carriers have Implemented other measures, namely "taking photos of the delivery point" (your house or otherwise), which Is used to verify that the driver did drop off the package to the right house. At the time of this post, "DPD" who services many major retailers such as Amazon and ASOS, Is one carrier that takes photos, so keep this In mind with future SEs. Generally speaking, there's a couple of ways the photos are taken. The driver either places the package at the doorstep or a nearby location of your home and photographs It, or he'll ask you to open the front door, and then take a snapshot of the package In the entryway.
The Intention of each approach, Is to confirm the delivery by using photographic evidence of the package sitting at your doorstep or In the entryway, so If you deny that your order did not arrive, they'll refer to their photo(s) but yet again, It's useless. How so, you ask? Well, In terms of the external photo of your property, "who's to say someone didn't steal your package?". The driver can take 100 photos If he likes - It doesn't change the fact that "It was left unattended at your house". As for the entryway, simply alter the appearance by adding a rug and a table & chair from another room, thus It will not match their photos and give the Impression that It's not your home!
In Conclusion
There's a lot more to the DNA method than what I've covered In this article but as said, this tutorial Is targeted at beginner SE'ers who have very little to no experience with Its formulation and usage. I've also made sure to specifically discuss events that are typically associated (with) and triggered by the DNA, therefore you'll have a good understanding of what to expect, Inclusive of being well-equipped to handle problematic Issues as developments unfold. In closing, consider this guide as a stepping stone to become fully acquainted with the DNA method as your skill set advances.
