This form of fraud can bring victims to the verge of despair: a few days before Christmas, the number of complaints about fake SMS simulating the imminent delivery of a parcel increases dramatically. “In an hour I got 25 such messages. It’s annoying, ”complains a Burgenlander.
Hundreds of thousands of cell phone owners had to struggle with such dubious messages as early as Easter this year. Now – shortly before Christmas there are again a particularly large number of parcels on the way – these SMS messages from alleged delivery services are piling up again Link for your package information “- at certain times of the day, messages like this arrive almost every minute on the mobile phone.” This SMS plague is nerve-wracking. If you actually expect a delivery, there is a high risk of accidentally following the link in the hectic pace of everyday life and falling into the trap, ”says an office worker from the Neusiedl am See district. The message cannot be malicious software, and viruses cannot be sent. Only a text transmission with 160 characters is possible, ”explains a specialist. Nevertheless, a warning must be given against the fraudulent messages. “Under no circumstances should a link in an SMS message be clicked if the sender is unknown,” adds the expert. Investigators give tips It is even clearer to recognize criminal intent behind a message if the link provided has a completely unrealistic Internet address is provided. “Simply ignore! Because if you get involved, you can end up on a fraudulent website, ”said one investigator. His tip: Instead of clicking the link in the SMS, the shipment tracking of the respective provider should be called up and the status of the parcel delivery correctly checked!
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