Campbell River RCMP are warning Vancouver Island residents about a fake FedEx email that demands $1,200 to release a package and uses an RCMP logo to look official. It comes just weeks after the phone-return scam that hit Vancouver Island, so it’s the latest scam you should be aware of.
That’s according to CTV News, which reported on Tuesday that the email claimed a package had been intercepted near Campbell River. To get it released, the recipient was told to pay $1,200.
Luckily, the person who got the message saw it for what it was. The RCMP said the recipient “recognized the potential scam,” contacted police, and didn’t send money or click any links.
When officers looked at the email, they found several common signs of fraud. The RCMP pointed to numerous spelling and grammatical errors, poorly written content and the unauthorized use of “a crude RCMP logo” meant to make the email appear legitimate.
Scammers often lean on urgency and authority to pressure people into handing over money or personal information, according to the RCMP. Pairing a courier name with a police logo is a classic version of that, much like the sophisticated delivery scam that cost a Rogers customer a phone this summer.
Keep in mind that police don’t demand payment by email to release a package, so any message asking for that is a scam. You should also never give banking information to someone you don’t know.
If a message claims to be from a courier or another company, contact that company using its publicly listed phone number or website instead of anything in the email. The RCMP also suggests taking time to verify unexpected messages that demand money through official channels before you respond.
Anyone who gets a message like this should delete it and report it to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. The same advice applies to texts, since criminals have even used fake cell tower SMS blasters to push scam messages that look like they come from Canada Post or your bank.
Have you received a fake courier or police email like this one?
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