Law enforcement officials and FedEx are warning people about a new, very convincing scam that appears to be a text notification from the shipping service.
People have been getting personalized text alerts (using their name) about an incoming package. Rather than listing an estimated delivery time, though, it tells the would-be recipient the company is waiting for them to set delivery preferences.
The link takes people to a page that appears to be an Amazon listing, then asks them to take a customer satisfaction survey, where it then probes for personal information and credit card numbers in order to send a “free gift.”
There is, of course, no free gift and no package on the way. But identity theft could be.
The texts, part of what’s called a smishing campaign, are convincing, since they correctly use the recipient’s name, but authorities are urging people to be cautious – and always go directly to a company’s Website to search for shipping status.
FedExreiterated it would never send a text asking for personal or credit card information. And it notes that customers should be especially wary of notifications in its name that have a high sense of urgency. And there’s the telltale sign of any scam – bad grammar and misspelled words, along with URLs that are close to, but not the same, as the company’s (Fedx vs FedEx).
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