Fraud Alerts/PSAs
December 11, 2015: Beware of Surprise Gifts This Holiday Season
‘Tis the season for giving but be careful of unexpected gifts that show up at your doorstep this holiday season.
In the holiday delivery scam, victims get a phone call from a bogus shipping company to schedule a delivery. A short time later, the thief, sometimes dressed in uniform, arrives at the person’s house with the package.
If asked who sent the package, the fraudsters tell people the sender’s card will be shipped separately. They then say the person must pay a small delivery fee.
The con artists insist payment can only be made via a credit card, giving the victim the impression that the transaction is legitimate. The credit card gets swiped on a mobile machine and a receipt is printed.
While the victim may have received a beautiful bouquet of flowers or a nice bottle of wine, the thieves are going on their own personal shopping spree using the person’s credit card number.
TIPS:
- Never accept a package if you don’t know who the sender is or if there isn’t proper identification of the sender
- Do not give out credit or debit card information unless you have initiated the purchase or transaction
Prosecutor Ben Forer warns about the scam in this video: http://vimeo.com/148560802
Follow @LADAOffice on Twitter for up-to-date news and use #FraudFriday.
