West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey urges consumers to be extra cautious if they receive emails or text messages about an undeliverable package.
The advice comes as part of the Attorney General’s Holiday Consumer Protection Week.
“Online shopping is convenient and brings many retailers to our fingertips,” Morrisey said. “Scammers will try to take advantage of increased online commerce during the holiday season so consumers should be extra cautious if they receive notifications about an undeliverable package.”
When a person buys something online, retailers typically send several notification emails or texts about the order including an order confirmation email, a shipping notification, and when the package has been delivered.
Scammers try to take advantage of consumers by sending fake emails or texts with a message about an undeliverable package and that in order to get the shipment, a person should click on a link to provide more information. Fraudsters could also send a message that the purchase is ready to ship but one needs to update the shipping preferences.
One tactic these scammers use is making the messages sound urgent by saying if one doesn’t respond quickly, the package will be returned to the sender.
What should consumers do if they receive a message like this? Here are a few tips to protect one’s personal identifiable information and banking information:
If a message tells a person to click on a link to update one’s information, do not click the link.
If a person thinks it could be about a purchase one has recently made, go to the website where the order was made and check the status of the shipment.
If a person thinks the message could be legitimate, contact the shipping company using a phone number or website that is real. Do not rely on the information in the message.
This scam surfaces throughout the year but is especially prevalent during the busy holiday season. When a person contacts the scammer, they will ask for verification of accounts or other identification to be able to access one’s account. No matter what time of year it is, consumers need to take precautions to protect their personal information.
In addition, packages arrive at doors more frequently during the holiday shopping season because of the popularity of online shopping. Thieves have been known to pilfer packages from porches, so it is important for consumers to take precautions.
Consumers should consider having packages shipped to their workplace or to a trusted neighbor’s house instead of allowing packages to be left unattended at home. Consumers can also opt to have their packages shipped to a local post office or authorized FedEx or UPS locations for pick up.
Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a scam should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-368-8808 or file a complaint online at www.ago.wv.gov.
