A woman believes she narrowly avoided being scammed and praised TikTok for giving her the heads up. She also used the platform to issue a PSA to others so they can avoid falling victim to similar tricks.
In a viral TikTok video with over 3.6 million views, uploaded by user Tammy (@thefoxypineapple), the woman explained what happened.
“I just got a scam in the mail and if it wasn’t for TikTok, I totally would’ve fell for it,” the woman began in the clip. While she spoke, she held a small package in her hand.
How the FedEx package scam worked
Allegedly, a FedEx worker arrived on her front steps one day and stood there waiting for a signature so the woman could receive a package.
Tammy explained to viewers that she knew she had not ordered anything and was not expecting any packages, so she was immediately wary.
“I’m not expecting anything,” she explained. “I track all of my purchases. I know nothing is coming to my house.”
Still, she signed for and accepted the package. Inside, she found a small make up brush wrapped in plastic with a QR code affixed to it.
“Normally, I’d be like ‘What is this?’ [then] pick up my phone and scan,” the woman continued.
However, she recently viewed a TikTok video from another user that tipped her off to the fact that it might be a scam.
“She said, ‘Once you scan it, it has all the information in your phone and your phone just got hacked,’” the woman continued.
Ultimately, she urged viewers to never scan QR codes on unexpected packages.
Never scan QR codes on unexpected packages
According to the United States Postal Inspection Service, scams involving QR codes are popular and known as “quishing.” Scammers place QR codes in highly visible places that send unsuspecting victims to websites that appear to be legitimate. Then they use these websites to try to lure people into giving away personal and or financial information.
FedEx has a webpage that details common scams that consumers should be aware of and a hotline dedicated to reporting strange packages.
In July, a woman on TikTok went viral after telling a similar story about receiving a small package in the mail unexpectedly. It also came along with a suspicious QR code.
@thefoxypineapple Watch this and do not scan any QR codes you receive! #scam #scammeralert #qrcodes #qrcodescam #mailscam #scammers #scammersbelike #fyp #viral #becareful #phonescam #hacked ♬ original sound – Tammy
The Daily Dot reached out to FedEx via email for more information and comment. The Daily Dot also reached out to Tammy by Instagram direct message for comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
