Spam and unwanted telephone calls for years are the favorite weapons of cyber criminals to deceive and scam victims. Their methods evolve continuously, becoming more sophisticated and difficult to detect.
Attention to the messages from “couriers” – can be dangerous traps photo shutterstock
María Aperador’s cyber security expert revealed, in a recent video on Instagram (@mariaperador), the newest cheating technique used by scams in 2025-Scaming “The False Courier”.
She explained at large how this scam works, offering essential tips to recognize and avoid it. Find out what you need to know to protect your data and money!
False courier fraud: How the scam begins
The new fraud begins with an apparently harmless phone call from a supposed courier, usually presented as from Amazon. The appellant announces the victim that a parcel is on the road, although it has not placed any order.
To seem convincing, the scam offers to send additional details about the parcel and the SMS sender. According to Maríei Aperador, although the offender claims to be an employee of a courier company, he claims that “He lacks some essential information for delivery”. Thus, it aims to obtain personal or banking data from the victim.
The specialist warns that this type of fraud is all the more dangerous as the scammers can thus obtain sensitive information, such as the name, surname and address of the concerned. She recommends that, in front of any suspicious appeal, no personal information is provided and always check the authenticity of the call before responding or taking any action.
Capcana: WhatsApp recovery code
What is the purpose of such scam? “Get information from us”explained the expert, mentioning that among them are including the victim’s contact details, necessary to be able to handle it further.
Everything is done by sending a WhatsApp recovery code. “I do this to take your account and deceive your contacts. We have to be very careful and not trust anything that seems suspicious.”warns the specialist.
Courier or crook – how do you check if delivery is real
The specialist also offered two useful and clear recommendations for situations in which we receive suspicious calls, to protect your money and personal information.
If someone sounds to us claiming that “We are waiting for a parcel”but we did not order anything, it is essential to close the call immediately.
In contrast, if we really expect a package, it is important to check the information only through the official applications or sites of courier companies.
Most transport companies offer platforms where you can follow the status of deliveries and, in general, notifications are sent by e-mail. As a rule, couriers should not sound directly, but in Romania this happens frequently – either to confirm the presence of the recipient or because they do not have accurate information.
“We must keep in mind that delivery companies, such as Amazon, already have all the information necessary to deliver our orders correctly.”stressed cyber security specialist.
Frauds by SMS related to deliveries: Danger behind fake messages
The scams that involve courier companies become more and more frequent in European countries.
In Spain, for example, such a type of fraud often targets Correos. The scammers identify people who have controls in transit and send them SMSs containing a link, claiming that the amount is required to complete the delivery. Once the victim accesses the link, he is asked for the details of the bank card, and the scams are able to steal money from the account.
For this reason, it is essential to always check the sender’s identity, especially when the messages contain attached links or files. Avoid accessing them and, if you receive a suspicious call, close the phone immediately.
