One flaw that\u2019s deeply ingrained in human nature is the desire to get something for nothing. It\u2019s why we flock to \u201cbuy one, get one\u201d sale offers, or buy lottery tickets that might (but usually don\u2019t) give us a lifetime\u2019s earnings in a heartbeat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, it\u2019s also why scammers expend so much energy on finding ways to fleece the rest of us instead of engaging in honest work. One frequent scam \u2014 especially now that the pandemic has made online purchasing so common \u2014 is the fake USPS tracking number or a fake tracking number from some other courier service. They\u2019re used in multiple ways, and all of them are bad news. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many ways scammers can leverage a fake tracking number, but they fall into two broad categories. The first affects anyone who buys or sells online (and most of us buy things online, especially since the pandemic). In this case, you purchase from a given vendor, and in due course, you receive a tracking number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time passes, and the item doesn\u2019t arrive, so you check the tracking number, and \u2014 to your surprise \u2014 it shows that the item was, in fact, delivered. It turns out that the scammer used the number of a legitimate delivery in your geographic area. Because tracking shows the item as being delivered, scammers know that challenging the purchase through a payment service like Paypal or a shopping platform like eBay<\/a> can be difficult (but not impossible<\/a>). The tracking number may come from the USPS, UPS or another carrier; how scammers access the numbers is unclear, but that\u2019s a problem for the carriers to address. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second form of a tracking-number scam is a straightforward phishing attack. You\u2019ll receive an email or bogus text<\/a>, usually claiming to be a tracking alert or a missed-delivery alert from UPS, FedEx, the USPS or some other carrier. There\u2019ll be a clickable link, or a phone number, so you can reach out to see where your parcel is or correct the problem with your delivery. If you click a link, malware may be loaded to your phone, or if you call the number, a helpful \u201cagent\u201d will take your personal information. Either way, identity theft and fraud<\/a> are likely to ensue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes the number a scammer sends you is simply fabricated. The tracking-number formats used by the USPS and other major carriers are well known, so they\u2019re easily spoofed. Sometimes they\u2019re perfectly legitimate tracking numbers but \u201cfake\u201d in the sense that the scammer has misappropriated them. Either way, checking the number isn\u2019t especially difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Only the laziest and clumsiest of scammers would use a fake USPS tracking number that isn\u2019t in the right format, but by all means, screen for that. If you search \u201cUSPS tracking number format,\u201d or the equivalent for any other carrier, you\u2019ll see a numeric or alphanumeric format. If your purported number doesn\u2019t match the format, it\u2019s bogus (although bear in mind some carriers use multiple formats depending on the type of package or class of service). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The other way is simply to go to the carrier\u2019s package-tracking website and type in the number. Don\u2019t do this by clicking the link! <\/em> Instead, use your browser (or app, if applicable) to get there. If the number is bogus, you\u2019ll get an error or no results. If the number is legitimate, look at the tracking information. If it\u2019s not for a purchase you\u2019ve made, or if the dates are wrong, it\u2019s bogus. If you\u2019ve gotten a phishing text, that\u2019s all you need to know. If you were given this tracking number after making a purchase but didn\u2019t receive a delivery, you\u2019ve probably also been scammed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Often you won\u2019t need to search the tracking number to know that it\u2019s probably fraudulent. In the case of the USPS, for example, you\u2019ll only<\/em> get a text about your delivery if you\u2019ve specifically signed up to receive them<\/a> for that specific package. If you didn\u2019t do that, it\u2019s bogus, every time. Also \u2014 and this is a big one \u2014 legitimate texts from the USPS won\u2019t contain a link, ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The same logic holds true for other carriers. If you receive an unsolicited, unexpected message, it\u2019s probably bogus. If you want to see what real-world phishing attacks look like, UPS has an extensive list of examples<\/a> on its website. There are usually a number of tell-tale clues<\/a> to betray a phishing message: logos that don\u2019t look quite right, spelling or punctuation errors, or language that demands<\/em> you act immediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Links in the message will often be concealed under a button or clickable text, but if you hover your mouse over it, the underlying link will pop up (on a mobile device, a long press does the same thing). A link going to a noncarrier website is a big red flag, as is a shortened link that obscures the destination site. Unfortunately, even legitimate URLs can be spoofed using non-Roman characters that look right to human eyes but are actually grabbed from other languages (a so-called punycode attack<\/a>). Your browser protects you against this to some degree, but sophisticated attackers can still use this technique successfully<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to unsolicited messages, there\u2019s a simple rule everyone should follow: If it contains a link, it\u2019s probably a phishing attack<\/a>. Period. To stay out of trouble, never, ever<\/em> click the link in a message. If you\u2019re legitimately expecting packages, that\u2019s fine: Go to the carrier\u2019s website, as described earlier, and check the tracking number manually (or call customer service at the number listed on the company\u2019s website if you\u2019ve received one of those \u201cthere\u2019s a problem with your delivery\u201d messages). <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s especially important with text messages because while most of us are understandably jaded about emails, we still tend to open texts. By some accounts, we open up to 98% of texts<\/a> and usually respond within minutes. For scammers (as with legitimate marketers), that means putting their message in front of more eyeballs and increasing the chance of success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s any doubt in your mind, you can use Spokeo\u2019s people search tools<\/a> to help verify your situation: <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve been victimized by a seller using the fake tracking-number ploy, grab screenshots to document the entire history of your transaction, and reach out to the carrier for more information on the real delivery that corresponds to your tracking number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the shipping or delivery date doesn\u2019t correspond to your order, or if the carrier can verify in writing that the delivery did not come to your address, you\u2019ll have a stronger case for restitution. This may require persistence on your part since the carrier is obligated to protect the privacy of the customer receiving the real delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve received a phishing message, you should report it to the company it claims to come from. In the case of the USPS, you\u2019d email the US Postal Inspection Service<\/a>; you can reach out to UPS<\/a> and FedEx<\/a> through their respective websites. If you\u2019ve fallen victim to a scammer through one of these schemes, you should also report the incident to the FBI\u2019s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)<\/a> and the FTC\u2019s Report Fraud<\/a> website. The latter is especially helpful because it will walk you through creating a personalized recovery plan to undo any damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, these scams are relatively easy to thwart.\u00a0 If you\u2019re making a purchase, use Spokeo to verify the sender before you pay.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve received what may be a phishing message, don\u2019t click the link.\u00a0 Those two simple rules can save you a world of grief.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n One flaw that\u2019s deeply ingrained in human nature is the desire to get something for nothing. It\u2019s why we flock to \u201cbuy one, get one\u201d sale offers, or buy lottery…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":26597,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[614],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safety"],"yoast_head":"\nHow To Check If a Tracking Number Is Real<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Other Signs of Fake Tracking Numbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dealing With Suspicious \u201cTracking Number\u201d Messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What To Do About a Fake Tracking-Number Scam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sources<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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