Say you’ve decided to sell your coffee maker. You’ve taken some photos and placed your ad on several online platforms. A buyer contacts you, claiming they’ve arranged a courier through a parcel service. All you need to do, they say, is click a link and provide your confidential details. This is a classic scam, with cases increasing by nearly a fifth compared to last year.
Fraud cases continuing to rise each year
“Fraud cases involving couriers and parcel companies are fairly common,” says Ramūnas Matonis, head of the Communication Division at the Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior. “As more people shop online and send packages from abroad, fraudsters are taking advantage of this trend. As the holiday season approaches and people begin searching for gifts, the number of fraud cases tends to increase.”
Matonis reports that 3,846 preliminary investigations were opened in the first nine months of this year, nearly a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. The Lithuanian police have been tracking the increasing trend of fraud cases for several years.
“The most common scams involve SMS or emails containing fraudulent messages and links that direct you to a fake website. You enter your e-banking credentials there, and that’s how you lose your money,” explains Matonis.
Errors and incorrect names as dead giveaways
Many of these cases occur on popular platforms like Skelbiu.lt, Vinted, and Facebook Marketplace. According to Matonis, scammers pose as buyers or sellers and provide a link to a fake parcel service website, where you are prompted to enter your confidential details.
Matonis says scammers can usually be identified by grammatical and stylistic errors: “There are often numerous mistakes in the messages they send, including incorrect company names or link addresses.”
Konstantinas Fedorcovas, head of technology at Venipak, agrees: “If you suspect anything, start by carefully checking the domain name, as it is often incorrect in links sent by fraudsters. For example, there was a case where a link led to a fraudulent domain containing ‘safefundsget.fun’, whereas the official domain should logically end with ‘.com’ or ‘.lt,’ matching the carrier’s domain.”
If you receive a suspicious email or SMS about a parcel, Fedorcovas advises checking the sender’s email address. “No parcel service will use a dubious email address, so it’s important to stay alert and carefully check the sender’s email,” says Fedorcovas.
Avoid disclosing confidential details
If you receive a suspicious message, Matonis warns against clicking on any links it contains. “You should visit the official website of the company claiming to contact you and log into your account to check for any notifications,” he advises.
If you do click on a link sent by a scammer, Fedorcovas warns not to disclose your e-banking credentials, PINs, or other confidential details: “We never request such information for parcel deliveries. For instance, when sending a parcel via a parcel machine, all you need is your name, phone number, and the address of the machine. If you’re in doubt, it’s best to contact the customer service team by phone or online.”
Best to have dedicated card for online purchases
Fedorcovas also points out that scammers sometimes ask individuals to send money via a parcel machine, posing as bank employees. “If you’re asked to send money via a parcel machine, make no mistake: this is a red flag. Under no circumstances should you do this.”
According to Matonis, if you shop online frequently, you should consider using a separate card for these purchases. “For safe shopping online, you could top up such a card before making a payment, transferring only the amount needed for a specific product or service,” he says. He also emphasises that if you fall victim to fraud, you should contact the police immediately and file a report through the police’s e-services portal, epolicija.lt.
