Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals brought in big sales, with millions of packages set to hit doorsteps in the days ahead. But all those deliveries come with an increased risk of scams.
Scammers are targeting online shoppers with fake delivery notifications claiming there's been an issue with their package.
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"One of my mottos is that things aren't as bad as you think, they're far worse. And this year it is worse," said Steve Weisman is the editor at Scamicide.com.
He said artificial intelligence has made it easier for criminals to target their victims by creating convincing emails, texts or even phone calls.
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"Now that text message can be grammatically perfect," explained Weisman. "It also can have all of the logos and even the URL or the phone number. The phone number that you're getting from the text can really look legitimate."
The message usually says you need to confirm your address, pay a fee or reschedule delivery. The scammers claim the issues can be easily fixed if you click on a link, enter personal information or make a payment.
"But unfortunately, you've just downloaded malware that could be logging malware into your phone or computer. It could even steal your banking credentials. And it's incredibly dangerous," said Weisman. "Even if you have the most up-to-date security on your phone, the most up-to-date security software and protection is always going to be at least a month behind."
To avoid falling victim, check the source of any notification. Look for typos or suspicious links.
"You can't just go to Google and get the top [result] that comes up because sometimes the scammers create fake websites. They're able to understand the Google algorithms to get a higher position than the actual real one," Weisman said.
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Check the order status with the retailer. Look up the shipping and delivery status there and if you're unsure about a message, contact the carrier directly. Legitimate organizations don't charge for re-delivery and won't ask for sensitive information over email or text.
"You have to be pretty sure that you're using the right website, you're going to the right phone call," Weisman recommends. "You're going to want to make sure that you go to confirm if there is an issue. Generally, there won't be."
