UPS scam on ad sites: a scam you need to be aware of

UPS is a carrier that is well known to the general public... And to scammers! Often exploited by scammers on classified ad sites such as Leboncoin, Facebook or ParuVendu, fraudsters set up scams using the carrier's image through fake emails, SMS messages and fraudulent payment interfaces.

Find out how to protect yourself in 3 minutes by watching our video on the UPS scam:

Want to find out more? Read the full article below

UPS and DHL scams: same battle!

The UPS scam shares many similarities with its cousin the DHL scam. Scammers will try to get at your wallet and extort money from you by any means possible, not to mention a few attempts at intimidation. Some of them, who don't doubt anything, will try to make you crack by invoking... Interpol!

The usual approach via SMS or text messaging

Some classified ad platforms (Leboncoin, ParuVendu, Facebook, etc.) offer instant messaging where users can chat. Scammers also use these to approach their prey. But not all classified ad sites between private individuals have this feature.

However, the majority offer their users the opportunity to display their telephone numbers so that they can be easily contacted by potential buyers. And these "self-service" mobile phone numbers are a godsend for scammers, who will have a field day sending text messages to their future victims.

The cash-for-clunkers scam

Let's illustrate this scam directly with a text message sent by a fraudster after a camera was put up for sale on the classified ads site Leboncoin :

The scammer doesn't bother with details and, after confirming that the item is available, offers a method of payment via UPS. I might as well say it straight away: it's a scam.

How does it work? The UPS delivery driver gives the seller an envelope containing cash in exchange for the goods that the scammer says he wants to buy. Once the victim is confident, the scammer asks for their personal details in order to personalise the scam that follows. This information is supposed to be used to issue a money order. This is of course not true.

Payment of false insurance costs

Armed with this information, the scammer will send a fake UPS email requesting payment for insurance relating to "ownership of the item". According to the fraudulent email, the insurance is intended to cover the value of the transaction... The email mentions that UPS has received a payment order for €200 made out to the buyer. Of course, no money order was sent to UPS, which is a carrier and not a money courier or a means of payment!

And the second part of the email deals with the whys and wherefores:

The scam is obvious. You are asked to provide codes for top-up payments, which scammers love to do, as we explain in our article on PCS, Mastercard, Toneo etc. top-up scams. The UPS driver is then supposed to give the buyer an envelope containing the amount of the insurance and the goods. This is of course completely false, and once the top-up code has been given to the scammers, they use it and disappear into thin air. It is impossible to trace top-up payments, so the victim is completely unable to get his money back.

The swindlers also give contact details where they can be reached if necessary. Note the insert at the bottom, copied and pasted from the Wikipedia site...

Victims harassed if they don't give in

The scammers do not hesitate to harass their victims, with a barrage of text messages and phone calls. They present themselves as UPS agents and insist on having the top-up code for payment. And if that's not enough, some go so far as to use fake Interpol emails to put pressure on their victims to pay! But here too the email is extremely poorly produced and smacks of Wikipedia copy-pasting:

These communications bear no resemblance to official UPS communications

Even if they know how to be convincing and clever, scammers are not pros at design and discretion. The emails they receive have nothing in common with original emails, contain spelling mistakes, syntax errors, have a sloppy layout and include copies of third-party sites. What's more, DHL and Interpol don't use @gmail.com addresses. Always take the time to analyse the documents you consult carefully, as not all breaches are difficult to detect.

Scammers can change their methods

This is the most common scam, but it's not impossible for crooks to make variations, asking to be paid by other means or trying to steal your bank details, as in the Chronopost scam.

Avoid leaving your telephone number on ad sites and never reply to messages of this type.

To protect yourself as best you can, don't start trading with these people, and leave as little personal information as possible online. Scammers have several phone lines and email boxes at their disposal to carry out their scams. And even if the number is French, don't be fooled: scammers buy French phone top-up cards that they use from abroad! What's more, you should be aware that some scammers can go even further by using their victims' personal details to hijack their identity and carry out other scams by pretending to be them. It's like a waking nightmare.

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