The Latest Scam To Hit Washington State Can Land On Your Porch

We have become a society of convenience.  There was a time when I was the TV remote control instead of a plastic rectangle with buttons.  Instead of having a disc shaped machine vacuum your floor, you to push a cleaner and even empty a bag.

As each decade has passed, technology continues to advance and spoil us.  Today we have self-driving cars, watches we can talk into, and codes we can scan with the camera in our phone to unlock all the info we could ask for on a specific product.

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It's that code, the QR Code, that scammers have found a way to compromise and steal your information.  What's worse is they are using a tactic that many people don't suspect as fraudulent or malicious in and of itself.

This Gives A Whole New Definition To 'Porch Pirate'

The FBI is making people around the Country aware of this latest attempt to steal your personal information.  The scammers will drop an unsolicited package on your doorstep that features a QR code.  The package is usually missing any kind of sender information which forces the victim to scan the code to find out what it is and/or who the package is from.

Once scanned you'll either open a website where you'll be asked to provide personal information that will be used to compromise your identity and/or financials or you'll download and activate malicious software that will steal data from your phone.  Either way...it's a bad day.

Here Is What To Look For To Avoid This Latest Scam

There are multiple websites that can help you (and scammers) create their own QR code.  Here are some suggestions from the FBI to help you avoid become a victim of this latest version of a brushing scam:

1. Be aware of any suspicious or unsolicited package in your mailbox or on your doorstep.
2. Look over all packages to make sure they have sender information
3. Take additional precautions (like two factor identification) before authorizing access to your information by websites, apps, or authorizing permission over the phone.
4. If you believe you've been targeted, secure your online presence by changing account profiles and request a free credit report from one or all the national credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to identify possible fraudulent activity.

If you think you've encountered a scam...REPORT IT.  The FBI encourages all victims to report at this website.  Make sure you include information like name of the person  or company that contacted you, how you were contacted (phone, email, text, et al.) and anything you may have downloaded or gave permission to access your device.

They even have a hotline for seniors that think they have been a victim of scam.  Anyone 60 year or older can call the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (or 833-372-8311).