Chilean package: these are the characteristics and how you can avoid this scam - Personal Finance

Chilean package is an expression that declares a scam.

Find out what this scam is about. And what you should keep in mind so as not to be deceived.

In recent years, a number of countries have become popular type of scam known as ‘the Chilean package’, that has affected many victims of this type of theft.

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The Colombian National Police has indicated that This scam is based on the promise of a mysterious or surprise picket containing items of great value, however, behind this “opportunity” lies a hoax whose main objective is to obtain personal information from the victims.

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Characteristics of the Chilean package

Tempting offer: The victims of this type of robbery are usually contacted through text messages or emails, where the scammers send the promotion of a mysterious package that contains items of great value such as jewelry, technology, cash and others, in order to to arouse the interest of the victims.
Prepayment: In order to receive this alleged package, the scammers ask the victims to make an advance payment, arguing that this is necessary to cover shipping costs, customs taxes or insurance for the objects it contains. Usually, once the victim makes the payment, the scammers disappear and the package never arrives.
Personal information: Likewise, scammers ask for personal information, such as bank account numbers, credit card details, or identification information, under the guise of processing the package shipment. This data is then used to commit financial fraud or identity theft.

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During the last years the thefts by Internet have warned, significantly.

How to avoid the Chilean package scam?

The Federal Trade Commission of the United States has given a series of recommendations to take into account, in order to avoid be a victim of scams such as ‘the Chilean package’ and others, among the tips are:

Be wary of offers that are too good: If the offer seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. It’s important to be skeptical of promotions that promise valuable giveaways for no apparent reason.
Check the source: ensures that it is advisable to investigate and verify the identity of the company or person offering the package. This can be done by searching for information online, reading reviews, and checking social media for complaints or reports of possible scams.
Does not make payments in advance: It is not recommended to make any payment before receiving the package. Cybersecurity experts indicate that legitimate businesses do not require advance payments for shipping or gifts.
Also read: Criminals acted as bank employees to rob a man in Bogotá
Protect your personal data: The organization ‘Better Business Bureau’ of the United States, assures that people should avoid furthermore not being able to provide personal information such as identification number, bank details, among other unknown persons or companies, in the same way the Colombian National Police recommends frequently keep personal data as private as possible.