SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With the holiday season upon us, online purchases and package deliveries are on the way for many people, but thieves are looking to steal personal information.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) said they've received reports of people calling and texting consumers and posing as delivery workers to trick them into giving up their personal information.
"People are getting more personalized text messages that say something along the lines of, 'hey Celia, I am a FedEx driver trying to find your location. Can you give me your address?' That's a huge red flag," said Celia Surridge, a spokesperson for BBB of Northeast California.
Surridge said that it's reached the Greater Sacramento area.
"Unfortunately, it is a situation where we are seeing it here in our area. I've received text messages in the past that I’ve reported to Scam Tracker," she said. "We're tracking everything whether it's you've just received a text message and you didn't actually personally get scammed, all the way to people who have lost money."
The text messages are numerous and some encourage recipients to click a link. BBB said if someone clicks, they may end up downloading malware onto your device that gives con artists access to your personal information and passwords.
There are some ways people can avoid falling victim.
"Don't click those links through text messages. Go to your computer and actually log on like you normally do and then investigate from there," Surridge said.
BBB also says people should keep track of their deliveries by knowing what companies they should receive them from and when. Also, never give personal information to unsolicited callers, even if they claim to represent a company that you trust. The bureau said if you get a call, hang up and call the company directly using their official customer service line.
If you receive a text message you think may not be legitimate, report it to the Better Business Bureau. You can find and report scams by clicking here.
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