As packages pile up on doorsteps across the country, criminals are taking advantage of the busy delivery season by sending convincing fake texts, emails and even making in-person visits, demanding payment for packages that were never ordered.
Watch: A woman was almost scammed by a fake courier
A Maryland woman, who asked to be identified only as Renee, experienced this scam firsthand when a fake courier appeared at her home claiming to have an Amazon package for her.
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"A man knocked on the door and my fiancé answered. And he said he had a package for me, Amazon package, and I said, Really? So, you know, I thought, what's coming? I didn't order anything. Who sent me something?" Renee said.
The box had an Amazon label, but the courier's demand for payment raised immediate red flags.
"He said, $9.28. I said, 'Wow, I didn't know they had COD, but no, I didn't order anything. And my fiancée looked at the package. My name was on it and my address, and I told him, well, I didn't order anything and I don't remember anyone telling me they were sending me anything, so you're going to have to take that back. I'm not going to pay for that. And he just took off," Renee said.
After the suspicious encounter, Renee contacted police and filed a report. She also called Amazon, which confirmed they don't collect payment at the door in the United States.
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An Amazon spokesperson said scammers who attempt to impersonate workers put consumers at risk, and encouraged them to report suspected scams.
Clay Campbell, director of marketing for the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, said there’s another scam people should watch for this season: fake delayed-package notifications that ask for extra fee payments.
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"A delayed package, if you get a notification saying you need to cover an extra fee that's typically a big red flag, really common scam," Campbell said.
Campbell advises consumers to take a breath, pause and go directly to the shipping provider with tracking information.
To stay organized during the busy holiday shipping season, experts recommend saving all order confirmation emails in a separate folder. If you receive a delivery message you're unsure about, you can reference the original email and verify tracking information directly from the retailer. USPS also offers Informed Delivery, a free service customers can use to get email notifications of what mail they can expect to receive and when.
This story was reported on-air by Mallory Sofastaii at the Scripps News Group station in Baltimore and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
