Urgent warning for shoppers over four Christmas present delivery scams
THE festive season, with its flurry of online shopping and deliveries, unfortunately, brings with it a surge in parcel-related scams.
Criminals employ various deceptive tactics to exploit unsuspecting individuals.
Rob Lilley-Jones, Which? consumer expert said: “With so many parcels expected over the Christmas period, your chance of falling for a delivery scam is particularly high.
“Scammers will exploit shoppers who are expecting deliveries by impersonating well-known delivery brands.
“The messages usually claim you’ve missed a delivery, aiming to pressure you into clicking a link included in the message.”
“If you’ve lost money after following a link sent to you in a fake text, contact your bank as soon as possible.”
Here’s a breakdown of common delivery scams and how to protect yourself…
The outstanding fee scam
With an outstanding fee scam, you’ll receive a text or email claiming a parcel is awaiting delivery, but a small fee must be paid before it can be released.
This is a ploy to steal your payment card details.
The message may create a sense of urgency, threatening to return the parcel if you don’t pay immediately.
Legitimate delivery companies will never request payment via text or email for an alleged outstanding fee.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “This has become an incredibly common scam, where the fraudsters text or email to say there’s a parcel for you, but there’s an outstanding postal fee to pay in order to get hold of it.
“This is just a way of getting hold of your payment information.”
The failed delivery scam
These scam texts often appear to come from genuine delivery companies.
They cite various reasons for failed delivery – you weren’t home, incomplete address, etc. – and prompt you to click a link to reschedule.
This link leads to a malicious website designed to harvest your personal information.
Sarah said that you always check your delivery status directly through the official courier website or app to avoid falling into the trap.
Unexpected parcel scams
This appears to be a scam that works in your favour because you receive something out of the blue that you haven’t bought.
However, it’s a “brushing” scam where sellers send unsolicited items to boost their sales figures and create fake verified purchase reviews using your name and address.
While seemingly harmless, this scam indicates your personal information has been compromised and could be used for more serious fraud in the future.
While seemingly harmless, this scam indicates your personal information has been compromised and could be used for more serious fraud in the future.
Sarah said: “They’ll often include a QR code and ask you to scan it if there are any issues with delivery.
“You scan it and input your information, and they have what they need.”
If you receive a brushed parcel, report it to the retailer and relevant trading standards authorities.
Be vigilant about checking your online accounts for any suspicious activity.
There is also another type of “unexpected parcel” scam where high-value items are delivered to your address and you are then asked to forward them to another location.
This is a “parcel mule” scam, a form of money laundering where criminals use unwitting individuals to move fraudulently obtained or stolen goods.
Never forward a package unless you are absolutely certain of its origin and contents.
Stolen parcels
While not a scam in itself, the issue of stolen parcels presents an opportunity for scammers.
They may pose as the seller or delivery company, requesting personal information or payment to resolve the issue.
Remember, the seller is responsible for a missing parcel, especially if it was left in an insecure location.
However, Sarah said: “If it’s left somewhere you disagreed and it disappears, you have the right to a replacement.
“In all cases, this is the seller’s responsibility, so don’t let them blame the courier.”
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool by visiting actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime.
REPORTS SCAMS
If you think you have been a victim of a scam, you should report it as soon as possible.
There is no guarantee you’ll get your money back, but banks will often compensate you if you can show you did not know the money would leave your account.
You can forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you notice a website that doesn’t look quite right, you can also report it to the National Cyber Security Centre by visiting www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website.
You should also contact your provider and report it to Action Fraud, which will give you a crime reference number.
You can do this online by visiting actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
If you’re in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland online by visiting www.consumeradvice.scot. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
If you need further help, contact Citizens Advice Scams Action by visiting www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/get-help-with-online-scams or calling 0808 223 1133.