New Fake Package Delivery Scam Is Trying To Steal From Shoopers; Here's How To Be Safe

What is the Fake Package Delivery scam?

Hundreds of millions of packages will be shipped during the Holiday season and scamsters are looking for opportunities to steal from people. The Better Business Bureau has warned citizens of a new package delivery scam where con artists are sending phishing text messages to steal personal details like name, address, or even sensitive information like credit card or bank account details. There are multiple variations of the scam which try to dupe shoppers in different ways.

Extent of the scam

As per reports, the BBB has already received six reports of fake package delivery scam texts from the residents of California alone. In two of the cases, the customers were able to avoid the scam as they noticed irregular website links or spelling errors in the text messages.

How Scammers Operate

The scam involves a text message from an imposter delivery driver who is lost or looking for the recipient’s home. As per a WGAL 8 report, the message often says, "Hi! My name is John. I work for UPS, and I'm trying to find your house. Please call me." When victims call the number, the scammers may ask for their details including name, and address, or ask for their credit card information.

In a different variation of the scam, the message may say, "The USPS package has arrived at the warehouse and cannot be delivered due to incomplete address information. Please confirm your address with the link. https://realmastm.com (Please reply to 1, then exit the SMS, open the SMS activation link again, or copy the link to Safari browser and open it) The US Postal team wishes you a wonderful day," as per a BBB release.

Some messages may include a "tracking link" which may open a website that asks for personal information or ask the user to install malware to secretly steal personal information.

In another variation of the scam, simply calling the number can cost victims as these numbers are mostly international numbers that result in high per-minute rates.

How to spot and avoid such scams?

While shopping, it is best to keep track of the packages that are ordered to quickly identify a fake message for an unknown package. The BBB recommends shoppers write down the details of everything they ordered and make sure their payment is already done with a secured payment method. Further, shoppers should scrutinize every message especially if they did not order anything or sign up for alerts.

If some operators claim to be service providers of certain companies, it is best to call the company directly on legitimate numbers and verify the information from the official customer service.

The United Parcel Service also provides details and examples of these types of fraudulent communications on its fraud alert webpage, which can help shoppers identify such scams before falling prey.

The BBB further suggests that victims of such scams or any other kind of scams must report the case to the Federal Trade Commission with all the essential details. Further, victims should also report the scam or any suspicious activity happening in their area to the BBB Scam Tracker website, to help others get crucial information.