Parcels piling up?

It’s delivery o’clock. That time of year when packages pile up at the door. After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the deliveries seem endless and we often forget everything we’ve ordered. During the holiday shopping season, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of the gifts, deals, rewards, stocking stuffers and decorations we’ve purchased from various places.

Add holiday revelry, parties, long to-do lists, and increased stress, and you may not be thinking entirely straight when you get a text message stating your package is stuck at the border. You might immediately think of the limited-edition item you went out of your way to buy for a loved one. If it’s stuck at the border, the big surprise will be ruined. You desperately wanted the recipient to feel an extra bit of holiday magic. You get upset and anxious to fix the problem — and you click on the link in the text.

But the link was fake; and so was the text. They were part of a scam, designed to work exactly like it did — by preying on emotion and holiday stress.

Scammers take advantage of this season to lure victims into clicking on links, making phone calls and providing information. They will send messages that explain an array of issues — your package is stuck at the border, the driver cannot find your house, the address information is incomplete, and many more. They may include a link for you to click or provide a phone number. It’s important you don’t take any of the actions requested. Clicking on a link could lead you to malware and open to hackers. Calling the number will often lead to a “customer service representative” asking you questions they can then use to steal your money or identity.

Sometimes, the message will be as simple as “your package is on the way. Track it here.” It’ll include a link that is not legitimate and can open you up to cyber attack.

The best way to avoid these scams is to never click a link or call a number included in an unsolicited text message.

Most delivery services will not text you unless you opt in. Even then, you won’t be able to know if the text came from a delivery service or a scammer. Remember to always take your time, step away from the text, and consult with ScamTracker or other online scam tools. If you do get on the phone with a company you believe is a trusted provider, you can always hang up and call the company at a verified phone number to be sure. Don’t let your desire to be polite stand in the way of taking extra precautions.

You can practise the same procedure for checking on your parcels. Go directly to the company that is shipping them, type in the shipping information you received when you bought the product and see what the company says about its delivery status.