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Caution: Is this a new scam?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

A few minutes ago I got a notice to click on a link to get my tracking number for a purchase from Amazon being sent via FedEx. There was no mention of a product or an order number. 

The subject line said "Amazon order invoice" and the sender was "shipping @ FedexDeliveryID938Center.com"

I didn't recall having placed an order recently, but always save emails verifying orders, so I went to look. (You know how it is when you get old - you forget things.) 

Nope, no order. 

Is this yet another scam we need to warn our more easily misled friends and clients to watch out for?

 

Comments (17)

Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

Good gravy. I have a few "shipments" I'm waiting for, so that might be something that would have confused me. I didn't order anything from Amazon, but you never know how it might show up when it's shipped. Sneaky!

Oct 07, 2016 09:02 AM
Marte Cliff

Yes Donna Foerster - very sneaky. 

Oct 07, 2016 09:48 AM
Olga Simoncelli
Veritas Prime, LLC dba Veritas Prime Real Estate - New Fairfield, CT
CONSULTANT, Real Estate Services & Risk Management

Best to be safe and not click on unfamiliar links.

Oct 07, 2016 09:37 AM
Marte Cliff

Absolutely Olga Simoncelli - the danger is if someone is expecting a package and doesn't stop to think about it. 

Oct 07, 2016 09:49 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

I haven't had one for a while but I have gotten them from Amazon, as well as FedEx and UPS. No one seems immune!

Jeff

Oct 07, 2016 11:04 AM
Marte Cliff

Jeff Dowler One clue for me was that they used a different email address than the one I use on Amazon. 

Oct 07, 2016 11:23 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Marte - About two weeks ago, I got an email that sounds similar to the one you received.  I didn't respond to it in any way, but did hang onto it, just in case.

I was glad to hear they made a number of arrests in India this week.  The perpetrators in that situation had to do with posing as IRS agents, who were phoning to say they were coming after you criminally.  I have had several of those calls.

Oct 07, 2016 11:21 AM
Marte Cliff

Yes Myrl Jeffcoat I've also had several of those calls. They come with about the same frequency as the ones "from Microsoft" who want to fix my computer. 

Oct 07, 2016 11:23 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Well that is good to know, but I don't do much internet buying so a red flag would go up right away for me.

Oct 07, 2016 12:19 PM
Marte Cliff

That would be a good clue William Feela!

Oct 07, 2016 12:59 PM
Andrea Swiedler
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties - New Milford, CT
Realtor, Southern Litchfield County CT

Ugh... I am so tired of these things.

I had a real email from AirBnb asking me to confirm my registration. I never registered, so I sent the email to their security department. After a few minutes I got worried about it and called. Seemed they were actually working on it because of the email I sent. Someone registered and used my email address, different name. I have no idea what the person was hoping to accomplish by doing this. I am waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I am getting all sorts of notifications via AirBnb telling me all about cool places to stay... 

You know, these people need to get real jobs. As punishment they should be made to work in a really busy fast food restaurant for 80 hours a week. Then they would be too tired to bother the rest of us with their foolishness. If not fast food, then perhaps one of those disgusting jobs from the TV show "Dirty Jobs". Anything to keep them busy... and off the internet. 

Oct 07, 2016 12:47 PM
Marte Cliff

Andrea Swiedler - I'm with you. My original thought was that we should gather them all up and dump them on an island with no Internet access. 


But come to think of it... making them do something like clean out turkey pens or work down in the sewers would be fitting. 


I enjoy that TV show, by the way. It's amazing to see the jobs no one ever thinks about. 

Oct 07, 2016 01:02 PM
Laura Allen, Lake Tahoe - Truckee Real Estate for Sale TahoeLauraRealEstate.com
Coldwell Banker Realty, Tahoe City, CA (530) 414-1260 - Tahoe City, CA
Tahoe Real Estate Agent Helping Buyers and Sellers

Marte Cliff - This is a scam, and once they target you, you'll get an email from a slightly different email address almost daily for weeks to come!  

Another scam is one pretending to be from Google Webmaster tools telling you have a lot of web pages giving a 404 Error.  Do not click on the check your pages links, to fix the link - it's a scam/hacker.  

Lastly, I had someone trying to set up an Airbnb new account with my email address.  I didn't open a new account.  It started as "Dear Rose"  I knew right away something was wrong, at least get my name right.  Now I'm getting start your Airbnb search here emails with links to click on.  

Watch out they're targeting us hard! 

Oct 07, 2016 02:09 PM
Marte Cliff

Laura Allen, Lake Tahoe - Truckee Real Estate for Sale www.TahoeLauraLuxuryHomes.com It sounds like you and Andrea Swiedler got targetted by the same scammer. As she said, what is the point? Are they setting "you" up with an account just to be annoying, or is there some way they can benefit from it?


I wonder if it's something like the Wells Fargo scam, where employees were setting up bogus accounts in order to meet quotas, get bonuses, etc. based on the number of new accounts they can get. 

Oct 07, 2016 03:26 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I have seen that.  I am wondering if some of the things I order on amazon that are fulfilled by 3rd parties are selling my email address.  I block them when I get one of those, but what a pain it is.

Oct 07, 2016 02:14 PM
Marte Cliff

Tammy Lankford, a few months ago I responded to a fund raising letter and sent a few dollars to an Idaho horse rescue - and now I wish I hadn't. I love horses and want to help those who help them, but this rescue apparently sold my name and address to dozens of other rescues. I now get several appeals from various organizations every week. 


For the email junk, I keep labeling it junk before I delete, and the system is slowly pushing more of it directly to junk. The only problem - every now and then it puts my "real" mail over there, so I do have to scan before deleting the junk file. One day it was a message from a new client. 

Oct 07, 2016 03:30 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

It is a scam. I regularly receive emails about FedEx deliveries. I just delete them.

Oct 07, 2016 10:35 PM
Marte Cliff

Gita Bantwal You sure don't want to click on them. I just worry about the people who are more easily misled.

Oct 08, 2016 01:19 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Marte. I get at least two of these a week, and never click on the link. I think it is a scam.

Oct 08, 2016 12:16 AM
Marte Cliff

Sheila Anderson It's but one of many. This morning I have two in a row: one is "Pay Pal" telling me my account will be shut down unless I click and do something. The next one is Miss Rosie Brown wanting to send some of her $8.5 to the U.S. through my bank account. 

Oct 08, 2016 01:20 AM
Bill Roberts
Brooks and Dunphy Real Estate - Oceanside, CA
"Baby Boomer" Retirement Planner

Hi Marte Cliff There never seems to be a day when I don't have a phishing scam to report. I do it every time one of these raises its ugly head.

Bill Roberts

Oct 08, 2016 01:02 AM
Marte Cliff

Bill Roberts That's right... I used to forward them on to somewhere. Would you please remind us of that address. Maybe if we all start reporting them, something good will come of it. 

Oct 08, 2016 01:22 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Hi Marte...it is a scam... I get one of those emails about a fedex delivery at least once a week. You just can't be too careful these days.

Oct 08, 2016 01:35 AM
Marte Cliff

That's right Nina Hollander - we can't be too careful. That's why, when we write to someone for more information, we should tell them why we're writing. I've gotten messages that might have been real inquiries, but deleted them because I just wasn't sure. They said things like "Please call me," without saying why or "My resume' is attached," without saying why they sent it.   

Oct 08, 2016 01:54 AM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Yes, Marte Cliff ... I typically have a handful of these types of notices in my spam account.  The number seems to grow daily ...

Gene 

Oct 08, 2016 03:34 AM
Marte Cliff

They just keep coming Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi 


These people need to find something productive to do with their lives. 

Oct 08, 2016 04:23 AM
Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC - Fort Collins, CO
Northern Colorado Residential Real Estate

Hi Marte - I get a couple like that every day. The best clue is usually in the sender's e-mail address. That's not a legit Amazon address, and following those links can be very dangerous.

Oct 08, 2016 07:06 AM
Marte Cliff

I agree Dick Greenberg - check the sender's email address. Then if you think it might be something important, go to that website and see - but without clicking the link.

Oct 13, 2016 11:34 AM
Laura Filip
Laura Filip Broker , Opening doors for All Seasons of Life - Whitesboro, TX
What can we do for you today?

Thank you for sharing have received several of these myself junk junk junk do not click on it.

Oct 13, 2016 11:13 AM
Marte Cliff

Laura Filip RE/MAX UTOPIA | 903-271-4978 I'm so paranoid about clicking the wrong link that today I deleted an email from a client who was returning her copywriting agreement! It came from a name/address I didn't recognize, so away it went! 

Oct 13, 2016 11:35 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

I've heard about a lot of phone scams lately. Watch out and be safe, everybody. Love and light!

Oct 14, 2016 03:40 PM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Hi Marte - it is good that you want to Amazon and checked.  Never click on that link!

Oct 16, 2016 04:42 AM
Marte Cliff

Grant Schneider - I'm so careful I even deleted a message from a client last week because I didn't recognize it and it had an attachment. 

Oct 16, 2016 06:20 AM