CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office is warning consumers of a text messaging scam circulating throughout the state.
Consumers report having received unsolicited text alerts for packages they were not expecting to have delivered. The text messages will often claim to represent a familiar shipping company, such as FedEx, and may include a fraudulent tracking number, along with a link to a website where the consumer can record his or her delivery preference.
“Scammers will use every form of technology and pose as anyone to steal your personal, identifiable information,” Morrisey said in a statement. “This is why consumers must always remain on guard. That means never click on an unfamiliar link and never share information without verifying the legitimacy of the person or entity on the other end.”
Morrisey
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division has heard reports of consumers receiving the text message in the Kanawha Valley as well as in Randolph and Mineral counties.
FedEx states it will not send unsolicited text messages or emails requesting money, personal information or package details.
Morrisey's office joined FedEx in urging any recipient to delete the suspicious message without opening it. The shipping company also encouraged recipients to report such messages to abuse@fedex.com.
In all instances, the AG's office urges consumers to never click on an unsolicited or suspicious link and never share personally identifiable, financial or otherwise sensitive information without verifying the legitimacy of the recipient. The same goes for never agreeing to send cash, wire money or provide numbers associated with a credit/debit card, gift card or bank account.
Anyone with questions regarding a potential text messaging scam are asked to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-368-8808, the Eastern Panhandle Consumer Protection Office in Martinsburg at 304-267-0239 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.