Hoaxes and Scams

A few months ago, I received a text message that seemed to be from a major shipping company. It said: “Your package is waiting for delivery confirmation. Click here to verify your address.” Since I’d actually ordered something online that week, I didn’t think twice about clicking on the link. The website looked almost exactly like the actual delivery website , same logo, colors, and even a live tracking number. But if I looked closely, the web address seemed suspicious: instead of “ups.com,” it was “upssupport-delivery.com.” That’s when I realized it was a scam. [Purpose of the Scam] The aim was clear: to steal personal information. Once users had completed their “delivery details,” the site asked for payment information to “reschedule delivery.” In reality, the scammers were gathering credit card numbers and personal information that could be offered for sale down the line or used to commit identity theft. [How It Worked] This scam exploited two main techniques: urgency and familiarity. The language of urgency (“your package is waiting”) pressured people into acting quickly without thinking. The familiar appearance of the fake site generated trust and made it seem genuine. Together, these deceptions minimized doubt and made it more probable that a person would be deceived. [How I Could Have Verified It Sooner] Looking back, there were a few ways that I could have determined it was a scam before I clicked: Check the sender’s address: Legitimate delivery companies will send you messages from official shortcodes or verified numbers. Check the URL carefully: Scammers will add words, hyphens, or slightly misspelled domains. Visit the company’s website directly: Instead of clicking on URLs in emails or texts, go directly to the official URL by typing it into your browser. Use scam-reporting tools: Websites like FTC’s Scam Alerts or Google’s Safe Browsing checker can be utilized to verify suspected links. Being cautious and suspicious, especially if something is urgent or “too real”, we can protect ourselves from such digital deceit.