5 Ways to Avoid Holiday Delivery Scams

5 Ways to Avoid Holiday Delivery Scams

Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland

During the holiday season, consumers are often targeted by fraudulent text messages posing as major delivery carrier companies. These messages typically ask recipients to click a link to “update delivery preferences” or to “reschedule a delivery” for a package. However, these links may be fake and lead to scams that can steal personal information, and money, or install malware on a device. With millions of packages delivered each year, especially around the holidays, scammers capitalize on the busy shopping period to deceive unsuspecting shoppers.

Other delivery-related issues shoppers face involve package theft. Many consumers have had their packages stolen before they arrive home from work. Thieves can snatch packages from doorsteps or lobbies of apartment or condo complexes. Criminals even follow delivery and postal trucks. When the truck leaves, the crooks move in and grab the parcels.

To protect yourself, the BBB offers several tips to keep in mind this busy holiday season:

  1. Take precautions to ensure a safe delivery: If you receive a valuable or fragile item at home, purchase shipping insurance. In addition, always get tracking numbers for your purchases and check the shipping progress periodically.
  2. Watch out for texts, calls or emails about a missed delivery. Legitimate delivery services usually leave a “missed delivery” notice on your door. If you receive a missed delivery notice, sift through the form to make sure it is authentic, and only then follow their instructions. Keep track of what you’ve ordered to understand better what is coming and when. Don’t click on links; go to the delivery carrier’s website directly or log in and use the retailer’s tracking tools. 
  3. Request a signature when ordering: Chances are, this feature may come with a price tag, but it may be worth the extra fee, depending on the level of package theft in your area. Requesting a signature means that a delivery service won’t be able to drop a package on your doorstep unless someone is around to sign for it.
  4. Don’t leave packages sitting on your doorstep. Packages left sitting outside are particularly vulnerable to theft. To ensure safe delivery, have your package delivered to your workplace or a trusted friend or neighbor who will be home to accept delivery. Some delivery companies now have lockers where your packages can securely wait for you to pick them up using a one-time code to open the locker.  

Open your delivery upon receipt to check for damage or signs of tampering. Contact the seller immediately if you believe something is wrong with the shipment or it’s not what you ordered. Also, review the seller’s return policy for damaged or unwanted items. 

Following these precautions can help ensure a safe and secure holiday shopping experience. If you’ve been the victim of a delivery scam, report it to the BBB Scam Tracker. Your report helps us build consumer awareness and reduce the effectiveness of scammers’ favorite tactics. Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected]

About the author

Better Business Bureau® (BBB) Serving Greater Cleveland and its staff are the contributors to our Fighting Fraud blog. BBB helps people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. Services include: BBB Business Profiles, BBB Scam Tracker℠, Customer Reviews, business quotes, dispute resolution, fraud prevention presentations and more. BBB Serving Greater Cleveland services Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Lorain counties. Contact them at 216-241-7678 or [email protected].

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