CHICO — Some weeks I go searching for scams to write about, other times I get tips from readers or coworkers, and then there are weeks like this when where I make my decision based on how many times a scam targets me within the past week.
Four separate text messages in seven days from a scam bot telling me my package couldn’t be delivered. I believe I’ve written about this one before and the punchline then was that the texts were coming but no packages were ordered. This week I did have some packages coming but the punchline is that they all arrived in ship shape and on time.
The text reads:
“[Postal Service Notification] : Your package is being held at our facility due to incomplete address information. To facilitate delivery, please confirm your details within the next 48 hours by clicking the link below.”
The link is a mess of letters and numbers and certainly doesn’t look like anything the Postal Service would send. I also love the notion that the Postal Service is giving you 48 hours as if the package is a hostage.
But the best part of the text has to be the closing line:
“Wishing you a day filled with achievements!”
What a normal thing to say.
This is a more casual scam. Rather than making you panic, it tries the laid-back approach hoping you’ll just say, “Oh OK, no worries I’ll just click the link and fix it.” Of course the problem is that the link is taking you to a phishing website to lock into your phone or computer and steal data.
If you are worried that there may be an actual issue with your delivery, always reach out to the actual carrier directly whether it be USPS, Fedex, UPS or another company. Look up their numbers and give them a ring.
Never click links sent to you unless you have verified who is sending them.
Stay safe and cool out there folks. Someday we may experience fall weather again.
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Scam of the Week generally runs every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have come in contact with by calling 828-1329 or via email at [email protected].
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