Expecting a package? Don’t fall for this tracking notification scam, FedEx warns
Anyone eagerly expecting a package should watch out for this new text scam, according to police and a leading shipping company.
“There is a new scam where you get a text with your name from FedEx (or another delivery service) and a tracking number,” police in Duxbury, Massachusetts, said in a warning posted Tuesday on Twitter. “Do not click on the link. When in doubt about a tracking number go to the main website of the shipping company and search the tracking number yourself.”
Along with the warning about the fake FedEx messages, authorities in the suburban Boston town shared a screen grab from a phone that was apparently targeted by a scammer that sent a purported FedEx tracking number.
FedEx encouraged customers to be aware of the scam.
“FedEx does not send unsolicited text messages or emails to customers requesting money or package or personal information,” the company said in a statement, according to ABC. “Any suspicious text messages or emails should be deleted without being opened, and reported to abuse@fedex.com.”
Per ABC, FedEx said it’s “committed to protecting the security and integrity of our network. While there is no foolproof method to prevent the FedEx name from being used in a scam, we are constantly monitoring for such activity and work cooperatively with law enforcement.”
The same or similar scams appear to be targeting people across the U.S.: KIWA Radio in Sheldon, Iowa, reported that police warned earlier this year of scams involving package delivery services, with police saying that “the reason these scammers use FedEx or UPS is that if they used ... (the) United States Postal Service they’d be committing a FEDERAL crime.”
FedEx said in a fraud warning page on its website that “fraudulent e-mail and SMS messages, often referred to as ‘phishing’ or brand ‘spoofing,’ are becoming increasingly common.”
“They are sent in an attempt to trick people into sending money and providing personal information such as usernames, passwords and/or credit card details, and for the purpose of committing theft, identity theft and/or other crimes,” the company explained.
FedEx said that “indicators that an e-mail or SMS message might be fraudulent include:
Unexpected requests for money in return for delivery of a package or other item, personal and/or financial information, such as your Social Security number, bank account number, or other identification.
Links to misspelled or slightly altered website addresses. For example, variations on the correct website address fedex.com, such as fedx.com or fed-ex.com.
Alarming messages and requests for immediate action, such as ‘Your account will be suspended within 24 hours if you don’t respond’ or claims that you’ve won the lottery or a prize.
Spelling and grammatical errors and excessive use of exclamation points (!).”
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Expecting a package? Don’t fall for this tracking notification scam, FedEx warns."
