[WishfulThinker66]

I have been getting these a lot lately by text messages.... Tax rebates, family members in jail requiring bail money, payments to the authorities to prevent arrest for supposed warrants; and, of course, the prince who needs help with his banking. It always amazes me that people get drawn in by these things - especially those scams requiring personal information.

Well, today I got a text that very nearly made me hit the link....

I am waiting for an overseas delivery. This text appeared to be from the courier demanding I pay a duty before the item is released from customs. Ironically, the amount owed was more than what I paid in the first place. It contained relevant information including the real tracking number for the parcel. Hmmmm?

However, I just happened to have checked that tracking earlier and it had an entry stating it had actually passed Customs and was on its way via the post. Hmmmmm? A little research and it shows that such a scam is making the rounds right now.

So what I am saying is be vigilant. Contact the company or agency directly and determine the validity of the text or email. Know too that this is not how banks, companies, and agencies do legit business. Be safe and question everything.

[seeker33]

This is really terrible, and I think since so people order stuff and actually expect some mail, it can truly be convincing for them! I myself would consider paying this if I was expecting an order.
Thank you for warning us.

[lizardlady]

The bad guys are getting very sophisticated. I get realistic looking emails at work at least once a week.

[WishfulThinker66]

Originally Posted by seeker33

This is really terrible, and I think since so people order stuff and actually expect some mail, it can truly be convincing for them! I myself would consider paying this if I was expecting an order.
Thank you for warning us.

Your welcome and thank you.

UPDATE: according to the tracking this parcel is sitting in my local terminal waiting to go out for delivery with the courier. There is an entry in the tracking that specifically indicates the item passed Customs. So, yeah, it was good that I wasn't quick to act on the text.

So many text scams are out there but they seem pretty obvious to me. That this one would cause me to even think for a moment it was legit is unusual. It seems though that most of these are acted upon by the niaive, which are usually the elderly and unfortunately the newer people to the country. It is my understanding too that these folks are also the least likely to step forward and report it as having happened to them.

Just remember - your bank for example is never going to ask you via text, email, or phone your personal banking information. Someone asking you to be a third party for the transit of funds is never legit. The police don't just look the other way if you pay them money for a bogus arrest warrant. If you've never heard of the long lost relative needing bail money from you perhaps you shouldn't pay it, and so on, and so on.

====

Here is a personal story. My sister-in-law got hoodwinked into giving an internet 'boyfriend' $75,000 over a short period of time. It would have continued. However, in her niaivete, she was actually funding a terrorist organisation. The law got involved, she was arrested for her involvement, her accounts frozen, and she did a bit of jail time. It took months for her lawyers ($$$$$$) to convince the authorities she was an unwilling participant. Not only did she lose her shirt but she had to go through the humiliation for having been so dumb.

[Anonymous42019]

I'm very sorry so many of you have had such awful experiences.

Telephone scamming is on the increase according to our UK's Fraud Department and the only way to stop repeats is to buy an electronic scam blocker. This fits in-between your phone's lead and the wall where your phone connector is positioned. Some already have up to '3000' pre-blocked numbers including those from outside the EU but also the US, Russia, Nigeria, China and the Middle East. These phone blockers usually have a big red button in the centre, so when a suspicious caller phones, you block them by pressing that button before hanging up.

Telephone scammer call blockers' prices vary, but whatever their cost (which is anything up to £150 approx depending on their amount of sophistication), it should cost a lot less than one's bank account being drained and/or one's computer or smartphone being compromised. Just about anywhere sells them including electronics stores selling TVs, phones etc and including the ubiquitous amazon.

[Mountaindewed]

I got a call from Russia the other day. I let it go to voicemail and it was a robocall and definite scam. They didn’t even bother blocking the number which I found interesting.