Delivery scam steals customer information

Holiday delivery scams may arrive at your door. Don’t get caught by this scam in the lastminute rush. Everyone loves a surprise present — except when it’s a scam. Be on the lookout for scammers who are taking advantage of the holiday season. This con seems like you are receiving a package, but it’s really a way to steal your credit or debit card information.

How the scam works: Your phone rings, and it’s a delivery company saying that you have a package on the way. A short while later, the door bell rings. Sure enough, it’s a delivery person holding a gift basket. You ask who sent the gift, but the deliverer doesn’t know. He or she may claim the card was sent separately.

The delivery person says you need to pay a “verification fee.” In one version of the scam, the amount allegedly confirms that the basket, which contains a bottle of wine, was given to a person of legal drinking age. The delivery person claims only credit or debit cards are accepted and produces a hand-held card scanner.

The “card scanner” is actually a device that collects the credit/ debit card number, PIN and/or security code. Con artists then use this to make unauthorized charges or commit identity theft.

To find out more about other scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper (bbb.org/scam). To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker)

To find companies you can trust, go to bbb.org/atlanta. PAMELA MILLER FOR THE AJC