I am eagerly expecting a package from UPS. That is why I got a lesson on the second day, which caught my eye. Claiming to be from UPS, Sandesh said that the carrier tried to give the package on June 27, but the delivery could not be completed. The date was when my wife and I were away, so it looked valid at first glance.
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However, I have written a lot of cybercity stories, and I tell about the latest news in the world of cybercrime. I know that UPS scam messages are making rounds, especially in this time of the year. Naturally, my Spider Sense started tingling before reading the lesson. But after reviewing the message and examining all the details, I realized that it was clearly a scam.
Scammers prefer to schedule specific types of scams for some time of the year. During the tax season, you will see a lot of scams that spoil the IRS. During the holiday season, gift card scam ramps up. And during summer, missed-delivery scams are popular because crooks know that people are often on leave.
Delivery scams are still popular as big purchases like Amazon Prime Day (8 July to 11 July) and competitive sales of Walmart (7 July to 13 July) are creating huge numbers of packages, JD Stephen Kovski, Field CTO in Slashinext Email Security, told ZDNET.
“Scammers know that people are expecting more packages than normal during these campaigner periods, so their fake delivery alert is more likely to fool someone who is actually waiting for several orders,” Kovski explained. “These classic phishing campaigns have been going on for years targeting UPS, USPS, Fedex and international services like Royal Mail at the UK and South African Post Office, but they come in waves, and the summer selling season is the major time for deception related to the package.”
How does UPS scam works
This special UPS scam is a lover, at least in some ways. I received a message on my iPhone, with the sender label as unknown. By default, the links in an unknown sender are disabled in a text message, so you cannot click on them to open them. But the scammer used a timid trick to go around this barrier.
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You are instructed to reply to the message by typing Y to Y. By doing this, the scammer turns into a known sender. Open the message again, and now the link is clictible. If he does not work, then another option link is to copy and paste the link, where it takes you directly to the malicious website.
From there, the website motivates you to confirm your contact information if you want to get your package. This means that your name, address, phone number and sometimes credit card or social security number. If you take fodder, criminals now have all the sensitive details that they can use to steal your money or your identity.
“Scammers want to take crops through fake websites such as names, addresses, social security numbers and credit card details, which mimic UPS pages,” Kovski said. “They often start with a small ‘delivery fee’ under a dollar to get their payment information, then use those card details for very unauthorized purchases. Some malicious links also install software that can monitor your device activity, can steal login credentials for banking apps, and can reach your camera and microphone for running surveys.
How can i tell that this is a scam
Beyond a general awareness about these types of scams, what other clues teased me?
The first sender’s email was known. Instead of adopting an official UPS name or address, Scammer used a random handle and domain name that had no connection with UPS. The email address is quite easy to review. Always check to see if it is valid or related to the company.
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Second, the message expressed the feeling of urgency – always a sign of malicious intentions. In this case, the text told me that my package would be conducted by UPS for only three days before being sent back to the original sender. It is also a short deadline, even without an attempted redistribution, which UPS usually tries before sending the package back.
Third, UPS email or message usually consists of other means of identifying a tracking number or package. This message had no specific details and was normal and unclear instead, another sign of a scam.
“Scammers urge by claiming that your package will come back. If you don’t work immediately, you are playing for fear of losing something,” Cowsky said. “They deliberately keep the message unclear without specific tracking numbers or personal details, make anyone a wide net casting to catch the expectation of delivery. The most clever tricks are asking the victims to respond with ‘Y’ to activate those links that are initially disabled by phone safety facilities, essentially people bypassing their safety systems.
How to save yourself
Mix all those clues with awareness about the current trends in cyber scams, and I knew that it was clearly fraud. Apart from reducing clues, how can you protect yourself from these types of scams?
- Never answer the text message directlyInstead, launch a browser and open the website – in this case, UPS site. If you have one, sign in with your account, and check for any recent message or information. If you are expecting delivery, you should get information about it on the site. You can always call the company directly to further investigation.
- Never click on link or attachmentApple wisely disables the link from unknown sectors. But if you ever get a text or email with a link or attachment, never attach to it. Again, look at the respective website separately.
- Proof the messageThe text I received was well written, but many spams and scam messages include typo and grammatical errors. Look for any mistakes or other mistakes.
- Check the company’s website for helpMany companies like UPS provide online advice about detecting and avoiding scams. UPS page “Protect yourself from fraud and scams“Looks at different types of fraud and how to compete with them.
- See for missing nuancesThe legitimate messages of UPS include your name, real tracking number and delivery addresses, Cowsky said. Be careful when such details disappear.
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