PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – It’s a new take on an old scam, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Scammers are now targeting online shoppers, trying to literally ‘put a ring on it,’ in an effort to steal your personal information.
“I was like, ‘this looks too nice to be real,” recalled Raquel Lara. “Who sent this?”
Lara is one of several South Florida victims who received a pretty package in the mail, addressed directly to her.
Inside — a big red box, two elegant cards and a shiny new ring. In multiple cases across South Florida, the sender of the package was an “Angelo Want” out of Texas or California.
Other almost identical packages received by shoppers in North Carolina and Florida list a “Cody Polk” as the sender, with various addresses.
Lara said she was almost tempted to scan the QR code inside, trying to solve this mystery.
“I was glad I didn’t scan the QR code that it had because they get all your information if you go and do that,” she said.
The ring itself may be harmless, but experts say the card is where the danger really lies.
The shiny new rings come with a warranty card that has a QR code on it, which is often enough to peak one’s interest — any easy way to give up information to cyber criminals.
“They (victims) think that it can be a gift in addition to something that they bought,” said Cynthia Lavin with the Better Business Bureau.
“They scan this QR code attached to it thinking that they’re going to leave a review and a thank you, and it turns out that they’re giving access to scammers to download malware onto their devices.”
The BBB says scammers will send unsolicited packages for a number of different reasons.
In some cases, it’s just to try and inflate fake product reviews online. In other instances, it’s a way to get you to offer up or confirm personal data through those links.
Experts insist you should avoid engaging with websites you don’t know.
Pay close attention while shopping online for any suspicious lettering, as scammers often try to mimic legitimate online businesses.
Create strong passwords and change them frequently.
If you receive an unsolicited package, do not engage with the sender and change account passwords.
Read this story in Spanish by clicking here.