Don’t fall victim to the ‘missed delivery’ sticker scam

We’re all checking the mail every day, waiting for our holiday packages. Sometimes it requires a signature, and you can’t be home, so a ‘missed delivery’ sticker is left on the door by the delivery person instead.

That’s inconvenient, but is it a scam?

When ordering so much or waiting for packages from family it can be difficult to know what’s coming.

How the scam works:

You see the sticker on your door or mailbox saying you missed a delivery and you need to call, so, you pick up the phone and call.

But then, the person answering doesn’t have the information immediately available, so they ask for your name, address, and phone number, maybe even what credit card you used so they can tell you what package you missed.

Now they have enough information to potentially steal your identity, or even run up some charges on your credit card.

Bryan Oglesby, with the Better Business Bureau, said, “If there’s no identification of the mail delivery service or the parcel service, think twice before you call that number and act on that information.”

Any legitimate delivery service will leave a tag that clearly identifies what company it is.

If the scammers leave too much information out. That’s a red flag.

If you find the sticker or get the text or call that your package couldn’t be delivered:

• Don’t call the number unless a known delivery company name if obvious.
• Look up the number of the company yourself and call.
• Don’t click on any unknown links.
• Never provide personal or banking info on the phone.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and so many deliveries being made, delays and missed shipments are to be expected. Don’t add being scammed to the list of problems at this time of year.

RESOURCES:

• FCC: How to Identify and Avoid Package Delivery Scams
• FTC: Heard about the “waiting package” phishing scam via text?
• BBB Scam Tracker