The scam known as the “gift suitcase” is becoming more and more popular. In this scam, cybercriminals impersonate a family member or acquaintance who lives in the United States and contact people from their country of origin, for example Colombia, who they trick into transferring funds to a supposed parcel service. There are three key moments you should know to avoid falling victim to this trap.
The victims of the scam known as “the suitcase of gifts” claim that they have been contacted by a family member or friend who lives in the US through Facebook, who After a brief conversation, he asks them to take the conversation to WhatsApp.
How does the “suitcase of gifts” scam work in the United States?
Once you share your phone number, The criminal tells them that he is going to send some suitcases with gifts to his relatives in Colombiawhich is a surprise and needs help.
The criminal proceeds to say that from abroad he cannot pay for the package and asks as a favor that the victim take care of it. To give more truth to the topic, he adds that he will also travel to Colombia a few days later and will reimburse him double the amount when he picks up the suitcases. Besides, Since they are surprise gifts, you cannot ask any family member for the favor.
Then, the scammers contact them through WhatsApp who agree to receive “the suitcase of gifts.” The criminals write to them posing as a recognized parcel company, ask them to confirm the shipping information and the payment corresponding to the delivery, which varies between 700,000 and 900,000 Colombian pesos, equivalent to between US$176.68 and US$227.16.
Subjects ask for personal information, pretending to be an international courier company.
So, The “suitcase of gifts” scam works from three key moments:
- Contact through a fake Facebook profile.
- Request for help and discretion through WhatsApp.
- Messages from the fake package for the victim to make a transfer.
How not to fall for the “Suitcase of Gifts” scam?
To avoid being a victim of this and other frauds that are based on identity theft, It is important to make sure you are actually talking to the real person. If you receive a Facebook message from someone you haven't been in touch with in a while, make sure it's a real profile, do a little search on the social network, and check to see if they have photos or other friends to help make sure. of the veracity of the contact.
If you haven't had contact with someone in a long time and they seek you out for help with messaging issues, money transfers or a problem with customs, It is very likely that it is a scam. Above all, if you ask for discretion. If you are concerned that the other person really needs your help, confirm their identity by calling them.
“If you receive unwanted, suspicious or too good to be true messages, it is important not to open or share them. When you receive this type of message, we recommend that you report it, block the sender and delete the message“, states the platform Checked.
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