Avoid Mail Delivery Scams During the Holiday Season: Guidelines for Ensuring Safety

The Christmas season is approaching, signifying an increase in scams aimed at deceiving individuals for their money. Annually, there is an increase in delivery-related frauds exploiting the multitude of items dispatched during the holiday season, and this year is no exception. What schemes are scammers now employing?

Methods Employed by Scammers to Deceive Individuals During the Christmas Season

The Maytech team has observed an increase in package-related scams being reported by individuals. This is customary in December, as individuals procure gifts, decorations, and dining implements in anticipation of Christmas. Consequently, these scams are more prone to reach the inbox of individuals who have recently made a purchase; dispatching this message to someone who has not ordered anything serves as a clear indication of deceit.

These scams generally exploit anxiety or irritation to compel someone to click on a fraudulent link. In a Christmas delivery scam, the perpetrator typically asserts that an item could not be delivered owing to an outstanding postal fee or an erroneous address, exploiting the urgency associated with holiday purchases. An example of a scam received by a member of the Maytech team is presented below:

This specific scam exhibits several indicators that reveal its fraudulent nature. Initially, it was transmitted by iMessage, and the number does not correspond with USPS. Secondly, the URL is highly suspicious; it has excessive extraneous elements designed to provide a semblance of authenticity, with the attacker relying on the recipient's failure to scrutinize it thoroughly. Ultimately, the communication employs language that lacks professionalism and commercial acumen.

To ensure your safety during this Christmas season, it is essential to review the indicators of a fraudulent delivery message. These messages frequently contain "tells" that can alert you to a fraud once you learn to identify them. Scammers are more adept at replicating websites, as evidenced by my analysis of a remarkably convincing fraud that imitated a delivery business in my country.