This one has been around for quite a long time, but has become a lot more prevalent in recent months. Various shop closures, lockdowns and general safety concerns have meant the online ordering and delivery industries are busier then ever before, and the scammers are getting in on the action.
Parcel tracking is one of the best things to come out of the e-commerce boom. Being able to see exactly where your deliveries are helps you plan your day around them, no more waiting in from 7:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night. You know roughly when it’ll turn up, meaning you can pop out, have a bath, walk the dog, do whatever you need. Text, email and app alerts keep you informed as the delivery progresses. So what happens when you receive an SMS message saying you’ve missed your delivery? Even though you were in at the time? In most cases you’re likely to log onto the website of that particular courier and see what the tracking info says.
How often do you check where that SMS message has come from? Most of the time they come with a handy link to the tracking site to save you finding your tracking numbers or login details. How do you know that link is legitimate?
This courier “delivery” scam looks exactly like the kind of notification you’d get from a known courier firm. The wording is usually correct and the links can appear to contain the right phrases, but before you click it, it’s worth a really close look. Once you’ve clicked the link the damage is usually done. They will direct you to a fraudulent site which can download malicious software onto your phone, giving them access to your personal information and potentially control of your phone, tablet or laptop.
As with all emails and messages, if there’s any doubt, don’t open it! Instead open up a browser window and log in to the portal manually. Sure you’ll need your tracking ID and possibly some login information, but it’ll be a lot safer and you won’t risk opening yourself up to a scam.
Litenet are comitted to fighting scam activity, through awareness and education we can beat the scammers. We are a partner organisation of the National Trading Standards “Friends Against Scams” initiative.
