New text messaging scam includes recipient’s name and potentially dangerous link

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - A new text messaging scam has emerged where hackers use the recipient’s real name and direct the recipient to a potentially dangerous link.

The text says, “We found a parcel from March owed to you. Kindly assume ownership and confirm for delivery here.”

“The bad news is we see these giant data breaches all over the place. That information is sold from one hacker to another,” said FOX19 Tech Expert Dave Hatter. “They buy this stuff off the dark web, and they build these giant dossiers on people.”

If the recipient clicks on the link, hackers can then do more than collect the recipient’s information.

“The bad guys collect this, they sell it, and then they use it in social engineering attacks through phishing, through smishing and these text-based messages,” said Hatter. “In some cases, they’ll even make phone calls, and they have a lot of information about you so they can make the call seem more legitimate.”

Hatter advises to delete the messages or ignore them and do not click the link.

Anyone expecting a package and is nervous someone forgot to deliver it should contact the shipping company.