Scam alert: FedEx warns customers about opening phony texts

Amazon Ends FedEx Delivery Ban for Third-Party Sellers The e-commerce giant suspended operations with the mail delivery service last month. The move affected Prime orders with home and ground delivery from FedEx. The decision came just before the busy holiday season, leaving Amazon merchants blindsided. At the time, Amazon said the decision was over FedEx not meeting time requirements for deliveries. It also added that it would not resume operations until FedEx improved its system. Spokespeople for bo

If you’ve recently gotten a text message from FedEx, you may want to be use caution when opening it.

Several people have been targeted by a text message purporting to be from the delivery service company. But FedEx has told customers, it’s not them.

» RELATED: Atlanta ranks No. 1 for most robocalls nationwide in November, data shows

A phony text from the company claims that a package is waiting for the customer to set their delivery preferences. The message includes an apparent tracking number and a link. In many cases, the customer had not placed an order.

By Wednesday, FedEx tweeted that people should not open the suspicious message, saying they should be deleted and reported to abuse@fedex.com.

» RELATED: If you get this 'one ring' call, don't call back, FCC says

“We do not send unsolicited texts or emails requesting money, package or personal information,” an accompanying infographic said. FedEx’s website further states that if the interaction “resulted in financial loss, you should contact your bank immediately. Consider contacting the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or your state Attorney General’s office.”

Further information is provided on the warming signs of scams, including certificate errors or non-existent secured sockets layers for sensitive activities.

As for what happens if you don't delete the message and open the link, How-To Geek reported users are taken to a illegitimate Amazon listing that prompts them to take a customer satisfaction survey. The prompt includes the chance to get a reward worth $100. Afterward, users are prompted to fill out a form with their credit card information. There, they'll have to pay shipping and handling for their offer. The fine print discloses users are signed up for a 14-day trial and billed $98.95 each month. Then, they're sent a new supply of the reward they claimed.