The delivery of text messages that are reputedly from Canada Post — especially during the Christmas season when parcels are being shipped — should be carefully scrutinized before clicking any embedded links as they might be a scam.
A screenshot of an unsolicited text sent to an Express Weekly News cellphone, saying a package can’t be delivered until someone clicks on the embedded link and provides an address. The text is likely a scam
The Express Weekly News received a text message last week advising it that a “delivery was canceled due to an incorrect address” and instructing the paper to click an embedded link to add the correct address and reschedule the delivery.
The Express was not expecting a delivery and had also not signed up for text notifications from Canada Post — the only means by which Canada Post will out send texts.
The number from which the text message originated is not listed on Canada Post’s website, indicating the message is likely a scam. And the embedded link the Express was invited to click containing the string UrjQITUTSE is not Canada Post’s legitimate domain.
Clicking links in text messages could result in malware being downloaded to a cellphone or used to steal personal or financial information. People should also not click on “Unsubscribe” links as they could also be malware.
Canada Post states on its website that it sees text messages circulating from time to time that “appear to be from Canada Post.”
Some texts might inform a customer that a delivery has been put on hold due to unpaid shipping fees and asks a customer to click the embedded link to pay the shipping cost. Canada Post says “This is NOT from Canada Post and should be deleted.”
The Crown corporation does not send people text messages asking for payments for delivery or tracking, credit card or banking information, addresses or account login details.
Signs of a text scam include:
The creation of a sense of urgency to act on a held-up Canada Post delivery, a link to download a file, a link that does not point to a legitimate Canada Post webpage (i.e., canadapost-postescanada.ca) and poor grammar.
Some scam texts may include links with Canada Post’s name in it, leading people to assume it’s legitimate, but people should verify the link on the corporation’s website before clicking it.
Suspicious texts can be reported as junk and sent to a cellphone user’s communications carrier.
Suspicious texts can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which has an A-Z list of scams on its website.
