Expert offers tips on avoiding package delivery scams this holiday season

WASHINGTON (WJLA) — Millions of packages and letters are going out right now for the holiday season. Online shopping is extremely popular this year, which means a lot of people are expecting things in the mail.

Scammers are pretending to be package delivery companies, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

This is really the prime season for package scams,” said Shirley Rooker with WJLA's Call For Action. “The package business is booming. And so are the crooks. They're out there taking advantage of us right and left.”

Scams are coming via text, email and voicemail.

WJLA’s Lindsey Mastis played a voicemail for Rooker who said it was likely a scam. The recorded message claims the caller missed an important express delivery because no one signed for the package. It then prompts the caller to press “9” to talk to customer service.

“If you press nine, it may connect you to a person involved in the scam who's going to try to convince you to do something you really shouldn't do. But in addition to that, pressing that nine makes it obvious that hey, this is a real number, there's a human being on the other end, I'm going to add them to every crooked database in the country or the world,” Rooker said.

Some scams claim an address is incomplete or that there’s a fee to collect the package.

Rooker recommends calling the company directly to check it out.

Although it’s not recommended, if you call back a missed number, Rooker has some advice.

Dial *67. That will block your number from appearing on the other end so that if you're calling a crook, they will not get access to your number and know that it's a live number,” she said.