Text Scam ALERT: You got a delivery!

Online shopping is a big business today. Since people are confined mostly inside their houses, delivery is the best solution to get the things we need and to stay safe. More and more people are getting things online and having them delivered. Now, scammers are using this as an opportunity to extract money from unsuspecting people. I almost fell for this trap.

The Hook

I got a text saying that my “delivery has stopped at our warehouse” with a link provided in the SMS. I was expecting a package from overseas so I immediately clicked on the link to see which of the items that I bought is giving me the update.

I was really expecting a delivery. So I did not find this text suspicious at first. The shortened link they sent should have been a red flag already but I guess I was curious that I still pressed on the link.

Misleading UPS Website

The link goes to a website that says it is by UPS with a tracking number. The website URL though is not the official UPS website. This is an indicator that this is a scam. I was cautious now to proceed. But I am still curious how the scam is working. So I clicked on the next button saying “TRACK YOUR ITEM”.

What Package?

A legitimate delivery website should show details about the delivery by now. But the next page was still vague. It only provided the reason why it was not delivered yet. The reason is “UNPAID IMPORT DUTY”. It now shows the amount I have to pay for the item to be released by customs.

There is a TALK TO US button below the webpage. But this is not working. I kept on tapping the icon but it leads nowhere.

Still curious, I clicked on the SCHEDULE DELIVERY NOW button.

Now, this looks exciting! My “item” is ready to be delivered. But only if I pay the customs duty of 58 PHP.

Next is to enter the Shipping Information.

It’s a scam!

Now this page is clearly a scam. It redirected to the realstuffnow.com website which is not a UPS website. It is now asking for personal information like name, email and contact number. This is clearly a phishing tactic.

I stopped right here. I did not type my personal details. I did not press the NEXT button.

I ran a virus and malware scan on my phone afterwards.

Beware of Phishing Scams

Scams are looking smarter. It is easy to be caught and be scammed. This scam earns a little since it only asks for 58 PHP but other scams can involve bigger money.

Honestly, I almost feel for this scam. I should have stopped after getting the text message. That was already suspicious. Luckily, I was doing things slowly and checking the red flags along the way.

Here are some tips to avoid scams:

1. Always check if you are browsing the right website. The URL is always a clear indicator that the website is a scam.
2. Contact the company to confirm. And be sure to use the official contact number from their website.
3. Finally, be careful in sending your personal information. Check the URL if the website is a legitimate one or not.

You can learn more about phishing and scams at the Kapersky Lab website.