Online shopping has become more of a necessity lately rather than an occasional luxury. Naturally, this opens more opportunities for scammers to take advantage of the situation to fool consumers into giving out their personal information. This type of scheme also happens frequently during the holiday season.
How the Scam Works
A call, email or text from someone claiming to be a mail carrier or a parcel delivery service saying that they were unable to deliver a package to your home. If you don’t remember ordering anything that needs to be delivered, the caller may try to convince you the package is a gift from a friend or relative. The caller may sound friendly and professional, making the scam harder to spot. The email messages also look legitimate – containing official logos and using professional language.
However, things get suspicious quickly. The caller will ask you to verify personal information or give them your credit card information to reschedule the delivery. Email messages may ask you to click on a tracking link for your mystery package. When you click, you may download malware onto your computer that gives con artists access to any personal information and passwords. No matter the method of contact, the package doesn’t exist. Sharing your personal information puts you at risk of identity theft.
One victim reported “Text stated that a package could not be delivered by USPS because address was incomplete. Requested my credit/debit card number, expiration date, and security code to pay the requested $3.00 redelivery fee. As soon as I saw request, and the phone number where the request originated, I suspected a scam. I called the number and got a voicemail to leave my message. I hung up and discarded the text. The strange thing about this is that I mailed 3 packages just days before I got this text.”
How to Avoid Package Delivery Scams
- Be wary of unsolicited communications. Package delivery companies will never contact customers unsolicited via telephone call or text. Instead, depending on the carrier and whether the customer signed up for notifications, an email may be sent to a secure online account.
- Track all packages. Keep track of online purchases and expected deliveries. Request tracking numbers in anticipation of when they’ll arrive. Having the information on hand makes it difficult for scammers to fool you with the claim of a fake package delivery.
- Never give personal information to strangers. Even when the caller is friendly, always use caution when asked for personal information. Hang up, look up the official customer service number, and directly contact the company to confirm their request. Whenever possible, use the customer service contact information or chat function within the account at the company.
- Never click on links in unsolicited emails. Links in emails can download malware onto your device. Don’t click links in emails from people you don’t know or from companies you haven’t done business with or have asked to be contacted by. Be wary of official-looking emails; popular brands can easily be spoofed.
***Courtesy of the Better Business Bureau***
