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The ability of anyone to purchase anything, from anywhere, at any time of the day or night, offers incredible opportunities to each of us and to each of our virtual neighbors around the globe. Unfortunately, some of those neighbors do not have our best interests at heart. One fraud type involves sending fraudulent checks or money orders, usually by UPS Next Day Air® service, either in response to an online advertisement or as part of a fraudulent job offer. Do not assume that the method of delivery lends any legitimacy to the contents of the package.
If you have received an unexpected check or money order, you should assume it is fraudulent. You should also be extremely cautious if you receive a check or money order for an amount greater than the expected amount. You may be contacted by e-mail with a request to cash or deposit the money and return a portion of it using Western Union or other means. The fraudster will advise that you keep a portion of the money, which is less than generous considering the original check is probably fraudulent. Even the bank may initially believe the check or money order to be legitimate, only to discover the truth later and return it to you for repayment.
To report the receipt of a fraudulent check or money order delivered by UPS, please e-mail details, including the tracking number of the package, to fraud@ups.com.
In the past, successful fraudsters may have needed "an honest face." However, today's criminals only need a legitimate-looking website or e-mail to commit fraud.
We regularly monitor the Internet for the unauthorized use of the UPS brand to protect our customers. The unauthorized or unlicensed use of UPS intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets) is monitored and acted upon, if known. Please note that some fraudulent websites may have the look and feel of a legitimate UPS website. To be assured you are accessing an authorized UPS website, use "ups.com" rather than a link embedded in another source.
View Examples of Fraudulent WebsitesOpen the link in a new window
If you believe that a company is using the UPS brand inappropriately, have found a website that fraudulently claims to be part of UPS, or have seen UPS logos or trademarks used in what appears to be an unlicensed or improper manner, we want to hear about it at fraud@ups.com.
Fraudulent e-mails adopt many different forms and are the unauthorized actions of third parties not associated with UPS. These e-mail messages referred to as "phishing" or "spoofing" are becoming more common and may appear legitimate by incorporating company brands, colors, or other legal disclaimers. Help protect yourself by becoming familiar with these methods of fraud:
Please be advised that UPS does not request payments, personal information, financial information, account numbers, IDs, passwords, or copies of invoices in an unsolicited manner through e-mail, mail, phone, or fax or specifically in exchange for the transportation of goods or services. UPS accepts no responsibility for any costs or charges incurred as a result of fraudulent activity. If you have questions about this type of fraud, please contact your UPS representative or e-mail us at fraud@ups.com to verify the validity of any communications.
View Examples of Fraudulent EmailsOpen the link in a new window
Awareness and recognition of fraudulent letters, e-mails and phishing attempts is vital to protecting yourself against theft and other related crimes. Common indicators that an e-mail might be fraudulent include the following:
Note: UPS sends legitimate e-mail from several URLs, including ups.com and upsemail.com.
Some legitimate UPS communications may come in the form of an e-mail with an "epackage" link contained within the e-mail. These messages are designed to increase the protection around sensitive information, and the associated link will always start with https://ftp2.ups.com.
If you receive a fraudulent or suspicious e-mail that claims to be from UPS, do not respond or open any attachments or links associated with the e-mail. Please forward the e-mail and full Internet headers to fraud@ups.com before deleting. Fraudulent e-mails often appear to come from trusted sources, and the full Internet headers allow us to track the true origin. The Internet headers can be found through your e-mail system from within the e-mail. For example, in Microsoft Outlook, you can find the Internet headers by opening the e-mail, then choosing "View" and "Options". Depending on the e-mail system that you use, the process for locating the Internet headers will vary. Because UPS systems block content that may pose a security risk to our network, we recommend you either copy and paste the Internet header and message into a new e-mail or scan the e-mail and full headers and send as a PDF attachment to ensure it is received by fraud@ups.com.
Note: When forwarding the suspicious e-mail, do not modify the original subject line or contents enclosed, and do not include any personal or confidential information.
Additional information on spam or phishing can be found online at the Federal Trade Commission website.
In addition to fraudulent websites and e-mails, fraudsters also may use the telephone, a fax machine, letters, or other communication methods in an attempt to gather your personal information. These fraudulent communications are the unauthorized actions of third parties not associated with UPS. Fraudulent communications claiming to be from UPS may claim to indicate a package is waiting to be delivered. These communications will generally ask you for personal information and/or a payment in advance of receiving a package, or may indicate a need to update your account by obtaining personal information or a copy of your UPS invoice.
If UPS contacts you regarding a package, the UPS representative will always be able to provide a tracking number, which you can verify on our website. You also should know that UPS may contact you from time to time regarding service offerings or for marketing purposes, but you may always verify our phone number and call back before proceeding.
If you are ever unsure of the validity of a communication, ask for the caller's first and last name and a call-back telephone number.
View Examples of Fraudulent FaxesOpen the link in a new window
If you believe you have received a fraudulent communication, please alert us at fraud@ups.com.
Most illegitimate "work from home" job scams can be avoided by watching out for unrealistic pay promises with no experience necessary, or jobs that require you to make a payment before divulging specifics. Some of these scams, however, are more difficult to identify as fraudulent, and may result in you being personally liable. Some identified examples include:
Remarkable services that go beyond shipping and tracking to help you expand your business.
Think you may have received a fake email from someone pretending to be UPS? Forward the email to fraud@ups.com and then delete from your email account.