LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning people about an uptick in fake package delivery texts that scammers are using to attempt to gain personal information from a victim.
Nessel said recent complaints report that the texts come from unfamiliar phone numbers pretending to be a package delivery notice from Amazon, FedEx or other services.
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“If you are expecting a package and you receive a text message from an unrecognizable number, independently verify the origin first. Contact the company you purchased from or the individual who sent you the package. Clicking on the links in these phony texts can provide a gateway for scammers to download malware onto your phone, or to trick you into entering passwords, credit card details, or other personal information that can be used to commit fraud," Nessel said.
Below are examples of fraudulent text messages:
- “FedEx: shipment 71206 update: on the way. Click here: c7fsvinfo/oToaiibv6A. (using different numbers and links in the message)”
- “Jessica, urgent notice about your USPS package 3K9355 from 04/10/2020. Proceed to m4svk.info/UENAnGm4zh”
- “Jessica, urgent notice about your USPS package 3K9355 from 04/10/2020. Proceed to m4svk.info/UENAnGm4zh”
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Previous versions of the scam contained a link promising information about a missing package or asking them to “claim delivery.”
If you get a text message from an unfamiliar phone number about a package delivery you should delete the message, block the number and never click on any links. If you think the message is real you should contact the delivery company directly using a phone number you know you can verify.
If you get a fraudulent delivery message you can report it by using the methods below:
- Report it on the messaging app. Look for the option to report junk or spam.
- If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint subscriber, copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM), free of charge.
- Report it online to the Federal Trade Commission.