Parcel Scam Exposed!
Do people really fall for this?
The following is a true story. While it took place in Spain, and therefore in Spanish, I have translated the messages involved into English. There will be no translation charge to readers.
Puzzling Messages
Ignoring the merits of popular smartphones, I bought a little phone which allows me to make and receive calls and messages. It has other facilities, but I don´t use them much. I check each day to see if any messages or calls have happened.
A few weeks ago, a message appeared, allegedly from “Correos” (Spanish Post Office). Something about it didn´t look right, so I ignored it, but went into our local office when I was next passing. There was a parcel for me, but this was just a coincidence. (I don´t know where you get your coincidences from, but Spanish coincidences arrive by post.)
According to the nice man in our Post Office, a lot of people have been getting these messages, which are a scam. I have been keeping him updated on the progress of the investigation.
Further Investigation:
More recently, the same message arrived again and I decided to find out what was going on. These are my findings, and please remember them if/when you receive any message of this kind:
I don´t know the methods of every country´s postal service, but text messages asking you to send money certainly aren´t used in Spain. If there is anything to pay, such as customs charges, you pay it in the office when you collect your parcel. You will know about the parcel because, if you are out, the post delivery person leaves a note for you. It´s that simple.
Any message, email, phonecall or other correspondence asking you to send money should always be treated with suspicion.
It shouldn´t be necessary to say that, but I know there are people out there who voted for Trump, or Brexit, or even Putin…
This time I read the whole message. (Actually this time I worked out how to scroll down using the phone.) The website to which they wanted me to send €1.79 is based in Russia. They used a Spanish phone number but .ru on the web address gave them away. I will not contact, or even tell you, this website address. It´s probably got viruses, or novichok, attached somehow.
The last message (so far) was whiny: “why has the fee not been paid?” I replied this time: “Because this is a scam. Go fuck yourself.” I understand that last part is in common use when dealing with Russians.
A Few Questions Remain
If you are wondering why a small sum like €1.79 is worth tricking someone out of, the population of Spain is 47.35 million. If only a tenth, or even a hundredth, of recipients is fooled by this, you can see how €1.79 per idiot soon multiplies.
And I have no idea how many other countries are receiving these messages.
If you are daft enough to send the fee from your bank account, they might get access to the rest of your money too.
Is this how Russian oligarchs got rich? Or have Nigerians bought big coats and moved on, now nobody trusts messages from Nigeria? How did they get my phone number, which very few people have?
Most of all, just how stupid do you have to be to believe that the headquarters of the Spanish Post Office is likely to be in Russia? I mean, really?? This is the value of asking why again, isn´t it? You can save so much stress that way.
You´re welcome.
Now I have an extra €1.79 to spend and am off to enjoy it. Best wishes.
