With the holiday season approaching, the Boston Police Department is warning shoppers to be cautious of text message scams.
Text Message Scams: Watch Out During the Holidays
Scammers are increasingly targeting people with fraudulent text messages, often mimicking legitimate companies. Two common types of text scams include:
- Delivery Scams: Fraudsters send texts claiming that a package could not be delivered and instruct recipients to click a link or call a phone number.
- Non-Payment or Overpayment Scams: Scammers claim your account is locked due to non-payment or that you are owed a refund for an overpayment, providing a link to “resolve” the issue.
These texts are designed to steal personal information or payment details. Legitimate delivery companies, such as FedEx, UPS, USPS, and Amazon. These companies will never ask for Social Security numbers, credit card information, or payment.
If you receive a suspicious message, do not click any links. Instead, contact the company directly using verified phone numbers or official websites to verify the message.
Resources & Reporting: If you have paid scammers, there are some actions you can take to protect yourself from further issues and potentially get
money back. Follow the steps below on “What to Do if You were Scammed”
- Victims are encouraged to file a police report with their local area station. Please follow the link (here) to find your local Boston area station.
- If the scammers obtained your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov
- For additional reporting victims can also file with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).