With the holidays approaching, the scammers are seeing green. Here are three holiday package scams showing the different ways that a package delivery can result in money for them and a ripoff for you.
Three holiday package scams
The “surprise” package
According to WBAY TV in Green Bay, WI, this scam begins when you receive a phone call advising you that a gift basket is being delivered. A short while later, a delivery person arrives at the door, requests a signature, and payment of a “verification fee.” If you ask questions, the delivery person says they don’t know who sent the package, but they do have an official-looking scanner. Unfortunately, the scanner collects credit card information, the card verification code, and more.
Tip: Never give your credit or debit card to a stranger who shows up at your door.
Social media gift exchange
There’s something seriously wrong when social media turns into an opportunity to buy one gift and get thirty in return. That is exactly what this scam is all about reports the Better Business Bureau. In reality, this is a pyramid scheme much like those chain letters that made the rounds in the pre-Internet days. The scam is making the rounds on many of the social media sites.
The scam begins when you spot a friend’s post with an offer to buy one $10 gift for a stranger and receive as many as thirty-six gifts in return. According to bbb.org, some people are posting photos of the gifts they have received. Just in case you’re tempted despite the odds of giving far more than you receive, remember that this is a form of gambling and is illegal in the US and Canada.
Tip: Buy gifts for people you know personally, not those you’ve met on social media.
Package theft
The days of the UPS or Fedex delivery guy knocking on your door and waiting until you answer are long gone. These days, the normal delivery person barely has time to drop the package and run to the next delivery. This has created a huge opportunity for crooks willing to follow delivery trucks on their route. All the thief has to do is wait for the truck to stop. Wait a couple of minutes after the package is delivered, then grab the package .
Tip: If you won’t be home to receive a package, provide instructions to the shipper to have it delivered to a safe location or to someone you trust. Other package delivery tips from the Annapolis Police Department.
Once again, it comes down to “Don’t share your credit card and banking information with people you don’t know.”
So true, Kay. And yet, enough people continue to do it that the scammers still make a living. Maybe someday they’ll actually stop getting the returns on their “investment” and stop. Until then, we carry on. 🙂