LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY (PIA)- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 5 strongly warned consumers against package delivery scams especially this coming Christmas season.

DTI Bicol Consumer Protection Division Chief Roben Sumbon said the package delivery scam is a type of phishing scam aimed to illegally obtain personal information from the receiver of the package.

“We should be mindful and anticipate this kind of scams especially this coming Christmas season,” Sumbon said during the DTI Bicol Usapang Trade episode on Monday this week.

He added that in this digital age, it’s now easier for scammers to get the personal information of consumers and take advantage of and be used with bad intentions.

He also warned consumers against mystery or surprise packages wherein the scammer might tell the receiver that the package is from someone close to them with their social media accounts as the usual source of information.

Sumbon said there might also be instances  where the carrier of the package has a device from which the consumer can swipe their credit or debit cards to pay cash or simply to input their personal information.

To avoid being victims to these scams, he urged consumers to first verify the identity of the courier, and avoid saving details of credit cards in platforms that can be easily accessed.

He also added that consumers should avoid opening any text messages or links from a suspicious sender. He further discouraged consumers not to provide any personal information such as name, address and credit card no. in any online selling platforms.

The Usapang Trade episode of the DTI Bicol this week is part of the Consumer Welfare Month celebration this October with a theme, ’Sustainable consumerism in digital age’’, with the goal of increasing advocacy for sustainability and encouraging a mindful shift in consumption, particularly when it comes to purchasing goods and services online. (CLM/PIA5/Albay)