New package held scam making its rounds in Ontario

As the holiday shopping season approaches and many Canadians anticipate package deliveries, a new scam has emerged.

If you receive a text message claiming to be from Canada Customs about a parcel being cleared, proceed with caution—it may be an attempt to deceive you.

In this latest scheme, scammers impersonate Canadian Customs and inform the recipient that a parcel is being held due to an invalid zip code address.

The message advises recipients that the parcel cannot be cleared and urges them to confirm their address by clicking on a link in the text.

The fraudulent message warns individuals to act quickly, demanding confirmation within 24 hours. Scammers may use tactics like urging you to reply with a “yes” or to open a link that leads to a malicious site.

According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre—  a trusted source for alerting the public to emerging scams— this is a variant of “smishing,” where fraudsters pose as trusted entities to extract personal information.

The fraud prevention agency says legitimate businesses will not request personal information via text.

Individuals are advised to monitor their parcels using the postal service’s official website, which includes built-in tracking features. For any inquiries or to verify information, it’s best to contact customs or postal services directly.

Additionally, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre offers the following tips to help protect yourself from potential scams:

• Be skeptical of unsolicited messages regarding parcels or deliveries.
• Avoid clicking on links from unknown senders.
• Check for grammatical errors or odd phrasing, which can indicate a scam.
• Report suspicious messages to local authorities or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.