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You probably already know that you need to worry about thieves stealing Packages from your balconybut now you also have to be wary of criminals who leave packages there. This is the surprising first step in a scam that you may have never heard of before.
You open your front door and–surprise! There is a package that appears to have been delivered by FedEx or UPS. Your name is even on the poster. Inside is a new phone. The only problem? You never asked for one.
It looks like you’ve just gotten a free phone, but in all likelihood, you’re about to get scammed. This is the first stage of classic high-tech Identity theft schemea kind of modern-day Trojan horse. He – she It happened in New York Earlier this year, W In Canada and England A few years ago.
The “free phone” scam doesn’t seem to happen very often – it just takes a lot of effort on the scammer’s part. But because they start in the real world rather than via email, they can be more unpredictable than typical scams and therefore easier to fall for.
Although this can happen in a number of different ways, there is usually some combination of a seemingly free phone, a front porch, and a very real criminal who occasionally shows up at your door. We’ve broken down three ways the ‘free phone’ scam works, giving you tips to help you avoid falling for it and explaining the steps to take if you are.
How the “free” phone scam works.
The free phone scam has been carried out in three slightly different forms.
The “Free Phone on the Porch” scam.
A free phone arrives at your door, and you think it’s your lucky day. You activate the phone and enter your personal information. It is then locked, frozen and darkened. Now you’re a cautionary tale with a useless phone, and some scammers have your personal information.
Scam “We sent you a phone by mistake and need it back.”
Sometimes the phone that appears on your porch is the phone you ordered. So it seems pretty reasonable when you get a call and your carrier tells you, oops, we sent you the wrong phone, and We will send you a prepaid card So you can return it to us. Don’t worry, We will send you a replacement phone.
You’re a good person, so commit to mailing your phone or leaving it in a box on your doorstep for a “delivery person” to pick it up. I later learned that you had given your brand new phone to a stranger.
“We meet on your porch and give you a free phone now” scam.
this It has happened in states like CaliforniaIt’s nerve-racking. The criminal knocks on your door, pretending to be a Medicare representative, and the offer says: “Hey, you’re going to get this new phone, no strings attached. I just need to scan your insurance card into this phone. Okay, great, thanks. Now, here’s your insurance card, and I’m going to go to my car with your phone and call my bosses with this information. Then I’ll come right back and give you your phone.”
Unfortunately, the “Medicare representative” gets back into his car and drives away. You don’t have a new phone, and there’s a stranger rushing in to get your health insurance information.
Fraud prevention tips
Frauds are becoming increasingly more sophisticatedbut it is common to believe that you will never fall in love with anyone. But scams are almost everywhere these days. If you don’t want to be a victim of a “free phone” scam or other more common schemes, you’ll need to do the following.
Do not open unexpected packages
Ideally, if you receive something in the mail that you’re sure you didn’t ask for, you simply won’t touch it. But we all know we will. What if it was a gift or something we ordered and forgot? So, yes, the average person will likely open it. If something like a phone feels weird, “don’t deal with the contents,” says Patrick Coughlin, CEO and founder of Safe Securitya Los Angeles-based cybersecurity company.
“Sharing means plugging it in, turning it on, scanning a QR code or inserting a SIM card,” Coughlin says. “Any one of these could give a scammer access to your accounts, identity, or phone number.”
“We’ve seen cheap phones pre-loaded with malware and SIM cards designed to route fraudulent activity through your name and phone,” he adds. QR codes Which drops credential stealing pages on your device as soon as they are scanned. So leave it alone.”
But don’t leave a surprise package on your porch
Angelo Kevin BrownCriminals sometimes “send a new iPhone to a person’s house and try to get the package before the person does,” says an assistant professor of criminology at Arkansas State University.
If they did, they probably bought the item with your money, Brown adds.
“So, if the item is expensive, it’s often important to check the credit accounts of those living in the home to make sure nothing was opened by them,” Brown says.
You are not doing anything wrong by taking the package sent to you. “Legally, under federal regulations, such as with the Federal Trade Commission, if you are sent a package by accident, you can keep it, throw it away, or throw it away,” Brown says.
(It’s another story then Something is delivered to your home by mistakeIt is directed to another person. In this case, keeping it is considered theft of mail.)
When calling your carrier, always look up their phone number directly on their website. Do not call the number provided in the email or on the package for an unexpected delivery.
Contact your telephone operator directly
So you got a free phone? You’re skeptical but wondering if it could be real? Call and ask. But make sure to use the official customer service number on your monthly statement. If a phone number is included with this “free” phone, it is likely a criminal number.
Refused to pick up “recovery”.
If someone shows up at your door claiming there was a shipping error, or They want you to pay the shipping fee As for the package they delivered, again, do not share. (Tell them you will call the police if you have to.)
“The more you interact with someone trying to get or deliver a package, the more information they may get from you that they can use against you,” Brown says. “In general, the advice is to never give a package or information to a stranger. If it’s an official package from USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc., it will be them coming to you, not a stranger, and not in a personal vehicle.”
Check your accounts regularly
Auditing, saving, retirement. We should all check these accounts anyway, for example, to make sure we’re not overspending. But if you don’t routinely check your accounts, you may not even know when you’ve been robbed.
Never answer a call that is marked as spam.
Enable spam/fraud call filtering
Your mobile phone is supposed to allow you to filter out spam and thus potential scam calls. Your landline probably is too (Try *77Which works on many landlines; It will block calls that intentionally block your caller ID).
Check out anti-phishing tools
Antivirus software They won’t help you with these free phone scams. But if your desktop, laptop, or devices aren’t protected from malware and computer viruses, it’s only a matter of time before something infects your devices.
Look into identity protection services
You’ve probably heard of some of the big names out there – LifeLock, Aura, and IdentityForce. Identity theft protection services Monitor your personal information, and if they see suspicious charges or detect fraudulent activity on your accounts, they will alert you. They also provide other services, such as insurance, to cover expenses you incur, such as recovering your stolen identity.
Consider credit monitoring
Credit monitoring services Track your reports from the major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — and if there are suspicious changes, such as a new account being opened in your name, you’ll be alerted. Often times, alerts will tell you what you already know, like you have a car loan in your name. But if a stranger does it, you’ll find out quickly.
Some antivirus software, like Malwarebytes, includes services like identity theft protection and dark web data tracking.
Think dark web monitoring
These services track and detect personal information that is sold on Dark web (It sounds artificial, like a villain’s hideout in a Batman movie, but it’s the term that describes a real, hidden part of the Internet where criminals often access stolen information.) If your personal information is sold on the dark web, these services can alert you.
And yes, many identity theft protection services offer dark web monitoring — and credit monitoring — so you likely have one service protecting your personal information rather than multiple.
Consider data removal services
Data brokers Selling our personal information to almost everyone. Data removal services These are companies that work to prevent data brokers from selling your information, which may reduce the likelihood of you becoming a target.
Stay alert against sophisticated scams
Law enforcement and legitimate companies will never ask for your Social Security number or passwords over the phone to fix a charging error. never. Trust your gut.
Humans versus software
Antivirus software and identity theft protection services can protect you from many scams, but not all. We humans still have to pick up some of the slack. This table shows where antivirus software and identity protection services can help you and where you can defend yourself.
Compare antivirus software, identity theft protection, and human action
| Antivirus | Identity protection | Humans | |
| Blocks malicious links and phishing sites | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| It detects and blocks malware on the device as soon as it is installed | ✓ | — | — |
| Alert you about new accounts opened in your name | — | ✓ | — |
| Monitors credit and dark web exposure 24/7 | — | ✓ | — |
| He could refuse to hand the package to a stranger at the door | — | — | ✓ |
| Urgency and pressure tactics can be identified through a phone call | — | — | ✓ |
| It can decide not to connect or activate an unknown device | — | — | ✓ |
| You can check who is calling the phone company by hanging up and finding the phone company number on its own and calling the real company | — | — | ✓ |
Basic steps to take if you are the target of a scam
If you’re the victim of a “balcony eviction” scam, or any scam that involves your money or identity being stolen, you’ll need to take several steps right away:
- Contact law enforcement: Even if you think you will never get justice, the police may be able to help you. They could at least alert the public to be on the lookout for these types of scams.
- Send a fraud alert: Fraud alerts It means that credit bureaus have to check with you before opening an account in your name. Contact the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to place an alert on your credit report.
- Change carrier credentials: If you think someone has access to your phone, update your cellular service provider’s PIN and password immediately.
- Collecting evidence for the authorities: If you have footage from a home security camera, you may have footage of a scammer delivering a package. The police will be interested.
