New package delivery scam hits Ontario

If you’re eagerly anticipating a delivery from Canada Post and happen to receive a text message saying that your package is being held at a distribution center, exercise caution—it could be the latest scam.

In their latest deceptive scheme, scammers will send a text message posing as the Canadian postal service, falsely informing recipients that their item has reached the warehouse, but cannot be delivered due to an incomplete address.

The fraudulent message then urges individuals to confirm their address by clicking on a provided link.

Upon receiving a text from an unfamiliar number, individuals may opt to validate its legitimacy by running a quick Google search.

In this particular case, the area code is traced back to the Philippines, leading some individuals to dismiss the request and perceive it as an attempt to scam them.

However, others may find the message convincing—especially if they are eager to receive their package— and will click on the provided link.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) this is an example of  “smishing,” which is a variation of phishing schemes.

Fraudsters will pretend to be businesses, government agencies, banks, or utility companies urgently requesting individuals to verify personal information such as name, address, birth date, banking account details, and Social Insurance Number (SIN). If provided, this information can be exploited for identity fraud.

Canada Post mentions on their website that they see similar messages circulating the region frequently and are reminding their customers that they do not send out such messages and should be deleted.

“We will never reach out to you by text message to request credit card or banking information, account information such as your password, or payments to release deliveries and/or see updated tracking information,” Canada Post states on their website.

“Messages will only come from sender IDs 272727 or 55555 and only if you’ve signed up for notifications,” the postal service adds.

Customers are advised to rely on the official Canada Post website as the safest means to access tracking and delivery information, and to determine if any fees, such as duty and taxes, are applicable.

To identify suspicious texts, Canada Post offers the following tips:

• Be cautious if the sender is a full 10-digit phone number, not a 5 or 6-digit SMS short code like 272727 or 55555.
• Exercise caution if the message conveys urgency, claiming a delivery is on hold due to unpaid fees or an unsuccessful delivery attempt.
• Watch for poor grammar and typos in the message or company name.
• Verify the legitimacy of a link by ensuring it directs to the official Canada Post webpage with the domain “canadapost-postescanada.ca.”
• Avoid downloading any files from links in suspicious messages.