Cautious clicking: UPS store warns customers about shipping scams
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – With the first chill of the season, holiday scammers are coming out to take advantage of early shoppers.
Scammers are everywhere.
You are expecting a package and then you get a text or an email with bad news. A lost item.
It may very well be a scam.
Smart shipping is the final step when ordering online.
Holiday shopping does not end at checkout. It is when your packages have safely arrived at their final destination.
Owner of the UPS stores in Columbus and Starkville, David Buchanan, explained how not to fall for shipping scams during the holiday season.
“We always ask for people to be smart during this time of year. If they get what are suspicious emails we ask that they investigate that,” said Buchanan.
These Emails can look legitimate.
You should always check the source of the email to see who sent it.
If it is the actual UPS store, it will be an official email with the appropriate label and logo.
“So many scams happen these days where someone will email them saying we are holding a UPS package for them. UPS is not going to send out emails like that. They will send out an official email from UPS with the appropriate logo and it will say your package has been delivered but it will never say we are holding something,” said Buchanan.
Carli Sparks, the owner of Carli & Company, a local boutique, said they sell a lot of items online.
“We ship out orders every day. We have an online website and a free app. Our online customers have been with us from the very beginning and they have stuck with us. As soon as we post something they order,” said Sparks.
She explained how she can help her online customers while they are waiting on their packages.
“I’m the face of Carli Co. so if there is a problem or concern then I’m the person to contact. I always have my phone and so I always look up the tracking number and help in any way I can,” said Sparks.
Buchanan says online shoppers can help themselves by verifying the tracking on their packages.
“They can go to UPS.com or call the toll-free number for UPS 1(800)-PICK-UPS and they can talk to somebody and verify if it is a real or true tracking number and see where it is in the tracking and shipping process,” said Buchanan.
Buchanan says that UPS customers can have their packages shipped to the store if that gives them peace of mind.
Non-mailbox owners will have to pay a small fee for packages to be held for particular amounts of time.
Additional information can be found at UPS.com or by calling 1(800)742-5877
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