It seems like there is no end to the number of devious ways that thieves can develop to scam you, your parents, or any unsuspecting victim. Here is one of the new scams that is going around. The scammer finds…
a person’s phone number and address. That’s easy enough. Then the scammer calls the potential victim to be sure they are home and tell them they are XYZ Courier and that they have a gift basket delivery and ask if there will be an adult home in the next hour or other window of time. If the victim says yes then an official looking truck with the courier name on it (usually a magnetic sign) arrives within the agreed upon delivery time and the delivery person hands the victim a lovely basket of wine, flowers or food.The trap is when the delivery person asks the victim for payment of a small “delivery fee” because the basket contains alcohol and had to be had delivered to an adult rather than left on the doorstep.The delivery person states that their company doesn’t allow its drivers to accept cash or personal checks and asks for a credit card as payment. The delivery fee is generally very small (like $3.50). The delivery person uses a small portable credit card scanner that requires a PIN or other identifier.What the victim does not know is that the scanner device is being used to steal the credit card information in the same way information has been stolen from ATMs and gas station credit card machines in the past. The scanner the courier uses even prints out a nice receipt making it all the more believable.The victim doesn’t realize that their credit card information has been used to make a dummy credit card with their name on it and it is quickly used until the victim cancels the card.This scam is working and will keep on working until the public is informed enough to decline the offer of the gift delivery over the phone.