Vegas residents have been alerted to a scam that has been targeting them during Christmas. If you’re into online shopping, your email inbox is probably littered with emails of receipts and shipping information, but you might want to pay close attention to what’s actually in those emails. Scammers often send emails that look like they’re from shipping companies, but really contain attachments with malware that steal your personal information, ABC News reports.
The main one floating around the web now looks like an email that the “shipping company” tried to deliver a package, but missed you. The emails prompt you to open an attachment (typically containing malware or viruses) to enter your information and get an invoice to obtain your package. And there’s no turning back after you open an attachment, your computer will start downloading malware. Here’s an example of what the fake emails look like:
This type of malware scam isn’t new – the Federal Trade Commission has been warningabout them for years – but they tend to show up around the holidays, when people are shopping online a lot and feeling extra-generous. It’s easy to fall for these, because scammers usually use the companies logos to look legit. Before you click on a link that looks suspicious, you should hover over it to make sure it’s taking you to the real website.
UPS explicitly states on its website that they won’t contact you over email to request payment, personal information, financial information or account numbers. Fedex also saysthey won’t send you unsolicited emails about packages, invoices, account numbers, passwords or personal information. DHL says, if you get an email from them with an attachment, it’s fraudulent. So if you’re getting unexpected emails from these companies, you’ll need to take a closer look at the email itself.
The three big red flags you should look out for: The email asks you to download an attachment; the email also urges you to take “immediate action”; it asks you to “re-confirm” personal information, the FTC told ABC News. Your best bet is to keep track of your own tracking numbers and receipts as soon as you get them, so you can cross-check the emails you receive afterwards – or just stick to shopping in brick and mortar stores.
