People in France are warned to be alert to a new scam, in which people receive an SMS stating that a parcel for them is ready for delivery, but “will not fit in your letterbox”.
The text may appear to come from parcel delivery companies such as Mondial Relay or Chronopost, and may be especially convincing for people who often shop online and receive parcels regularly.
It may read something along the lines of: “Bonjour, c’est le livreur, votre colis ne rentrait pas dans la boîte aux lettres” (Hello, it is the delivery [driver/company], your parcel did not fit in your letterbox).
However, the text is a scam designed to steal your bank details, in a technique known as ‘phishing’ (hameçonnage in French).
It tells recipients that their parcel is too big to fit in their letterbox, and asks them to click on a link to choose a new delivery slot for at-home, in-person handover at an additional cost.
This link takes people to a page that looks almost identical to a genuine parcel delivery company site.
Users are then invited to enter their details, including email address, telephone number, and bank details. In reality, there is no parcel, and the text is simply a scheme to steal your money.
In general, it is never a good idea to click on a link that comes ‘out of the blue’ via text, especially if it asks you for personal and banking details.
Pay close attention to details such as spelling and grammar, and the telephone number of the text sender. If these appear strange, incorrect, or unknown, this is a clue it could be a scam. Similarly, pay close attention to details on the website, including double checking the URL address, or quality of images.
If in doubt, never click on a link from a text, and instead check for yourself by typing the address in manually using a new browser window.
As a general rule, neither La Poste, Chronopost, nor Mondial Relay (or any other delivery company) will ask you to pay for a parcel delivery via text.
You can report scams - and check for existing scams - at the websites signal-arnaques.com or cybermalveillance.gouv.fr. If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to the above sites.
