Ugh. Another Text Scam? But Watch Out, This One May Fool You.
Last week, I got a text message from what appeared to be UPS/Amazon. It told me that I had a package that was supposed to be delivered a month earlier, and all I had to do was follow this link provided in the text to claim my package. Honestly, it looked pretty legit, but I've learned more and more recently that these are just phishing scams.
Normally, we're all used to getting these in our email, which is why I was confused by the text message. However, I've made it a habit these days not to ever click on anything that seems fishy, or phishy, as the case may be. Lord knows what world of hurt you could be exposing yourself to. Likely identity theft.
The sad part is, this definitely preys on older folks who may not be quite as technologically proficient as other people. For instance, my mom gets texts and emails like this all the time, and I've taught her to just ignore all of it. She gets now that it's just bad guys trying to steal her money/identity.
WABI - TV5 posted an example of the kind of texts that have been going around. It's very similar to the one I got recently that almost fooled me. Check it out:
We found a parcel from March owed to you. Kindly assume ownership and confirm for delivery here.
If you got a text like that, that had the Amazon and UPS logos, you might believe it. But the thing is, neither of these companies would ever reach out by text message. Mail maybe, but never by phone. And it's just vague enough to make you want to know more.
Again, the best thing you can ever do, is simply delete those message or emails. If it were legit, they will definitely find you. But messages like these are just trying to get your identity, and ultimately your money. So protect yourself as much as possible, and avoid these scammers, lest they steal your whole life.