Gardaí warn online shoppers to be wary of courier payment scams
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Gardaí have issued a public warning to online shoppers about the potential risk to their personal and payment data when purchasing and using parcel delivery services.
Gardaí said they wanted to make the public aware of scams that have been circulated under the branding of various courier companies.
With online shopping and parcel deliveries increasing due to Covid-19, there has been a rise in digital scams.
These scams that consist of emails and texts are being circulated under the branding of various courier companies.
In these emails/texts, it is requested that the recipient has to pay an additional cost for customs clearance prior to delivery of their parcel. In some instances, these scams have been circulated in Irish.
When it comes to email- and text-related scams, Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau has the following advice:
Gardaí advise recipients not to provide any payment details to these scam messages.
If you think you may be the receiver of a scam email/text, gardaí advise taking a screenshot of the text/email and then deleting it.
They also add if anyone believes they have been the victim of fraud that they report the matter to their local Garda station.
An Garda Síochána is advising the following:
- Those who receive unsolicited correspondence and are awaiting a package to first independently verify the status of their package with the relevant postal service or courier
- Never click on links in an unsolicited text or email, never provide payment details or give away personal data like your PIN, card numbers or passwords
- Do not respond to such messages and delete straightaway
- Never open attachments in unsolicited emails and to make sure your computer has the most up-to-date anti-virus software installed
- Be wary of unsolicited phone calls
Due to the new customs charges that may apply to Ireland as a result of Brexit, these scams take advantage of this change and use people’s uncertainty to defraud people.