BOSTON — The Boston Police Department is cautioning residents about a surge in mail delivery scams as the holiday shopping season gets underway.
Scammers are targeting individuals with phishing texts and emails, falsely informing them of failed delivery attempts and prompting them to click on a link or call a provided phone number.
Authorities advise the public not to click on any links sent via these messages.
Legitimate delivery companies, including FedEx, UPS, USPS, and Amazon, do not ask for sensitive information like social security or credit card numbers just to complete a delivery.
To combat these holiday scams, individuals are urged to report any suspicious activity to their local police departments, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/, or the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/.
In cases where scammers have obtained a person’s social security number, victims should visit IdentityTheft.gov at https://www.identitytheft.gov/ to learn the necessary steps to take, including credit monitoring, to protect themselves from further fraud.
The police department’s community alert aims to prevent residents from falling victim to these deceptive practices as they enjoy the festive season.
