Saskatoon police warn of text scam that baits victims with 'undelivered' parcels

An illustration provided by Saskatoon Police Service shows how a scam involving non-existent parcels works.

SASKATOON — Police in Saskatoon are warning of a scam that draws victims in with messages concerning non-existent, "undelivered" parcels.

Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) said it has received several reports of people receiving text messages saying they had a parcel awaiting pick-up but extra fees were required before they could collect it.

"When the victims clicked the link in the text message, they were guided through a series of steps and prompted for their credit card information," SPS said in a news release.

Parcel delivery services will never contact customers via text and request additional payment, SPS said. No one should ever click on links in text messages or emails from unknown sources or share their personal information either.

"At a time of year when people may be utilizing online shopping, please take a moment to be extra aware of how your parcels are expected to be delivered," SPS said.