With many people expecting parcels at this time of year, there is yet another scam of some sort involving Canada Post.
The item will appear in your inbox from Canada Post with the subject line: Important Notice: failed package delivery!
The word from Debbie Clarkston at Canada Post in Sooke is,”it’s best to not open the link.”
She doesn’t know what this would cause, perhaps a virus. She said this particular issue has been ongoing and this is the second time around for this one.
“We had people asking about parcels,” she said. They had the same tracking numbers apparently, and Clarkston said they are not that inventive.
They (whoever they are) have copied Canada Post’s logo and the site is very convincing.
“You have to be really wary about what you do online,” said Clarkston.
In a warning on Canada Post’s website it states that the purpose of the “failed delivery” message is to track people’s banking information.
Canada Post, on their website, says, “All Canadians should be vigilant when reviewing unsolicited material by mail that asks them to divulge any of their personal information, or seeks their participation in any monetary transactions. Fraud schemes such as this are commonly characterized by the following:
You are hired on the basis of an email or phone call, without any personal interview or background checks. That’s not how legitimate companies operate.
You are asked to help process payments by depositing checks or money orders intended for their company into your bank account. You send them the money and you keep the extra as your ‘pay.’ Real companies never operate in this manner.
You are asked to be a “mystery shopper”. You send funds from a check or money order to ‘test’ a money transfer service or buy several small items at a store and send the rest of the money back to them. Legitimate companies would never ask you to use a money transfer or delivery service to send cash to them or anywhere else, for any purpose.