MA Residents Need to Be Cautious of Holiday Delivery Scams

It's that time of year when residents throughout Massachusetts will be making holiday purchases. Perhaps you have already started and/or finished your holiday shopping. If so, that's one less thing for you to stress about during the holidays. As shopping online has become the norm over the past several years, Massachusetts residents need to be aware of delivery scams (also watch out for holiday decoration scams which you can read more about by going here).

Massachusetts Residents Want to Be Aware of Holiday Delivery Scams as Consumers Have Been Getting Burned as of Late

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports that some consumers have recently been burned by delivery text scams. The person receiving the text will get a message from a bogus sender. The message reads something like a major delivery carrier needs them to "update delivery preferences" on a package by clicking on a link. However, once this happens the person who taps/clicks the link ends up having their personal information stolen from them. This is never a fun situation to be in and it doesn't just happen during the holidays, it can happen all throughout the year. But it definitely is a popular scam during the holiday season due to the increase in online shopping.

How Can Massachusetts Residents Avoid Falling for Delivery Scams? 

You want to watch for any emails or texts that may look suspicious, especially if the message indicates that the company attempting to deliver the package missed a delivery. According to the BBB, missed delivery notifications are usually left on your door. You wouldn't receive a legitimate missed delivery notification by way of email, text, etc. That's a very unusual method of letting the consumer know that a delivery was missed.

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Here are Some Additional Scam Protection Tips for Consumers in Massachusetts

If you are expecting packages this season, the BBB reports there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from delivery scams including you taking action and calling the company directly if there are any delivery issues (for example, taking a very long time for your package to arrive), purchasing shipping insurance, paying close attention to bogus texts/emails regarding missed deliveries, requesting signatures, opting to avoid having packages left on your doorstep for a long period of time as this can lead to theft, and opening your delivery as soon as you receive it to make sure no tampering took place. You can get in-depth details about these holiday delivery scams by going here.

Who Should Massachusetts Residents Contact if They Suspect a Scam is Taking Place?

If you suspect you are experiencing a scam of any kind you'll always want to keep in mind to never give out personal information and pertinent data. If the scam is by way of a phone call, ask for the company who's calling you, and get a name and phone number if possible. In addition, you can notify the Federal Trade Commission and report your complaint by calling (877) 382-4357 or by going here.