Canada Post is warning about the most recent package delivery scam that is targeting innocent online shoppers at this time of the year.
They warn that scammers will send a text message posing as the Canadian postal service, falsely informing recipients that the item they ordered online has reached the warehouse, but cannot be delivered due to an incomplete address.
The fraudulent message then urges individuals to confirm their address by clicking on a provided link.
Beware of the fake delivery package scams at this time of the year from companies claiming to be Canada Post.
Once customers press on the link, they are exposed to having their personal information stolen, investigators said.
Shoppers are being told that the message appears as a legitimate Canada Post notice and they are urged to conduct a Google search on the phone number or on a company name if attached.
Police said this is an example of “smishing,” which is a variation of phishing schemes.
Look out for bad grammar, suspicious addresses and if in doubt delete the notification.
In this scam, fraudsters pretend to be businesses, government agencies, banks, or utility companies urgently requesting individuals to verify personal information such as name, address, birth date, banking account details, and Social Insurance Number.
If you respond, the information can be exploited for identity fraud.
Canada Post said on their website that they see similar messages circulating the region frequently and are reminding customers that such messages and should be deleted.
We will never reach out to you by text message to request credit card or banking information, account information such as your password, or payments to release deliveries and/or see updated tracking information,” the website states.
Customers are warned to look out for a full 10-digit phone number, not a 5 or 6-digit SMS short code like 272727 or 55555.
They should exercise caution if the message conveys urgency, claiming a delivery is on hold due to unpaid fees or an unsuccessful delivery attempt.
Watch for poor grammar and typos in the message or company name.
Verify the legitimacy of a link by ensuring it directs to the official Canada Post webpage with the domain “canadapost-postescanada.ca.”
And to avoid downloading any files from links in suspicious messages.