Package Scams

January 26, 2018

Beware of package and shipping verification scams As the holiday season approaches, experts report that the delivery phishing scam is alive, and may be electronically entering an e-mail box near you. This scam can be tricky, especially since so many Ohioans are sending and receiving packages during the months of November and December. Be on the lookout for phony delivery notification emails that look like they are from legitimate shipping companies such as FedEx, UPS, or the USPS. They may even use real-looking logos. According to Komando.com, look for subject lines similar to:

• “We could not deliver your parcel”
• “Please Confirm Your Shipment”
• “Problems with item delivery”
• “Delivery Receipt | Confirmation”
• “Your order is ready to be delivered”
• “Courier was unable to deliver the parcel”
• “Your package is here please download attachment to view detail and confirmation of your address”

Don’t be fooled – these emails are designed to get consumers to click on links or download attachments in an effort to steal your personal information. Similar to phishing scams involving banks, a link inside this email could lead to a site that will request personal information (for example, credit card numbers or account logins/passwords).   Or, an attachment or link could activate malicious software that could look for personal information on your device or even lock you out of your device with ransomware.

Another scam to watch out for is the shipping verification scam. In this scam, a telephone caller asks for a fee to deliver a gift. They will be happy to take your credit or debit card number, but it is all part of a hoax - there is no gift at all.