MINT HILL, N.C. -- Mint Hill police came narrowly close to arresting two scam artists Thursday afternoon. They said the duo obtained personal information, and tried to use it to rip off innocent victims.

The con is far from the typical identity theft scam, and Mint Hill officers have already investigated two cases this week.

“It’s a little more intricate that somebody just using your social security number to go get a credit card or something like that,” said Det. Ann Marie Garmon of the Mint Hill Police Department.

Here's how the scam works: after somehow getting your personal information, including your social security number, the con artists call Bell South and order hundreds of dollars worth of expensive phones and have it delivered to your home.

They then call you, saying their package was accidentally delivered to your address and now they want to pick it up.

In the two recent cases, both victims questioned the caller.

One victim did manage to take several pictures of the scam artists’ car today. Police didn't get there in time, but they believe it's only a matter of time before these scammers strike again.

“It is being posed as a mistake, so it would be easy to return it to FedEx and not think anything more of it, but I'm sure there'll be more people that become a victim,” Garmon said.

In both cases this week the scammers didn't get the phones. Police filled one of the boxes with wood, and the suspects took off with that, only to open the box and find there wasn't anything worthwhile inside.