GoKawiilYou probably already know you need to worry about thieves stealing packages from your porch, but now you also need to be wary of criminals leaving packages there. This is the surprising first step in a scam you might not have heard of.
You open your front door and -- surprise! There's a package that looks like it was delivered by FedEx or UPS. Your name is even on the label. Inside is a new phone. The only problem? You never ordered one.
It looks like you've just received a free phone, but in all likelihood, you're about to get scammed. This is the first stage of a classic high-tech identity theft scheme, sort of a modern-day Trojan horse. It happened in New York earlier this year, and in Canada and England a few years ago.
The "free phone" scam doesn't seem to happen very often -- it does involve a lot of effort on the scammer's part. But since it begins in the real world rather than with an email, it might be more unexpected than typical scams and therefore easier to fall for.
Although it can happen in a few different ways, there is usually some combination of a seemingly free phone, a front porch and a very real criminal sometimes showing up at your door. We break down three ways this "free phone" scam works, offer tips to help you avoid being taken in by it and explain what steps to take if you are.
How the 'free' phone scam works
The free phone scam has been carried out in three slightly different variations.
The 'free phone on the porch' scam
A free phone arrives on your doorstep, and you figure it's your lucky day. You activate the phone and input your personal information. Then it locks, freezes up and goes dark. You are now a cautionary tale with a useless phone, and some scammer out there has your personal information.
The 'We sent you a phone by mistake and need it back' scam
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