Scam of the day – June 27, 2022 – Watch Out for Delivery Scams

by | Jun 26, 2022 | Scam of the day

Ever since the start of the pandemic, deliveries by UPS, Federal Express, Amazon of online purchases have become part of every day life and even now, as the pandemic is waning, many of us still find the convenience of online shopping very attractive.  Scammers are always taking advantage of whatever is popular with people so it is not surprising that there are many scams related to deliveries following online purchases.  I have written about many of these, but there are always new ones popping up.

Many people are reporting receiving text messages that appear to come from UPS or Federal Express indicating that it is necessary for you to update your delivery preferences.  In order to do so you are asked to click on a link and provide personal information.  Unfortunately, if you click on the link one of two things will happen.  Either you will be taken to a page where you provide your personal information to a criminal who will use the information to make you a victim of identity theft or you will download dangerous malware, such as ransomware, merely by clicking on the link.

TIPS
If you receive an email  or text message from a company that asks you to click on a link or download an attachment, you should hesitate to do so, particularly if it appears bogus.  Never click on any link in an email or text message until you have confirmed that it is legitimate.
As for phone calls, it is important to remember that through a technique called “spoofing,” scammers can make a phone call appear to come from any telephone number that they wish.
Also, although it is important to have security software on all of your electronic devices, you can’t totally rely on your security software to protect you from the latest forms of zero-day defect malware for which there has not yet been issued a security update.
If you have the slightest thought that an email or text message asking you to click on a link may be legitimate, rather than click on the link, go to the website of the company, which in the case of Federal Express is www.fedex.com or call them directly at 1-800-463-3339.  Also, if you wish to track a Federal Express delivery go directly to the website of Federal Express rather than click on any link in an email or text message that purports to take you to the Federal Express website.  Similarly, you can do the same for other delivery services.

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