Woman received a FedEx package she never ordered. Her attention to detail helped her avoid a scam when she opened it.
Scams on the internet are becoming a common things, but a little attention to detail can often change the outcome. A woman realized that she was being scammed after she got a FedEx parcel in her mailbox that she hadn't ordered. She knew something was off about the entire thing and was sure about it after she opened the parcel. So the woman, Tammy, who goes by @thefoxypineapple on TikTok, took to the platform to warn people about the "QR Code Scam." The video received over 222k likes.
"I just got a scam in the mail. If it wasn't for TikTok, I totally would have fallen for it," Tammy began. The woman was just hanging around her house and noticed that FedEx had come and knocked on her door. The person stood there for a long time before the woman went ahead and opened the door. They needed a signature from her for a small package from Hawthorne, California. "That's it and there's a code here. It's as light as it can be." Tammy understood that there was nothing apart from the QR code in the package, but she still took it at the moment. "I know I have not ordered anything from this company called Uni Uni. I am not expecting anything. I track all of my purchases."
@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 woman was sure that nothing was supposed to come to her house. "Especially something from FedEx that requires a signature." Tammy knew she had to be careful as she opened up the package. There was a Dollar Tree makeup brush inside the package and it had a QR code on it. "Normally, I would be like, what is this, pick up my phone and scan." But she had just seen a video on social media from a woman who explained that once someone scanned such a code, the scammer would get all the information from the phone and their device would get hacked. "So if you receive anything that you didn't order and there's a QR code on there, do not scan it. That's for your safety." She added, "Just throw it in the trash like I am going to."
This particular kind of scam is known as "quishing" or QR code phishing, according to the United States Postal Inspection Service. Scammers use this method to lead a person to a site through a QR code and then ask for their personal information. These scammers could be disguised as the government, an agency, or a company to look legitimate. Such a QR code could be placed on high-traffic locations, or through texts or emails. Brushing is another way of using QR codes to scam people, where a person might receive an unsolicited package on their doorstep. This might include a gift card with a QR code to lead the person to the scammer's website.
People appreciated Tammy's advice in the comments section of the video. @rebeccak wrote, "I never answer my door. That dude would still be knocking." @reneeB commented, "Thank you for the heads up, as I hadn't heard of this one yet." @julielabrecque remarked, "Ordered a puzzle table from an ad on Facebook. A few weeks later, I received a package needing a signature. It was a small pin. When I contacted the company, they said I received it, I signed for it!" Tammy often shares useful hacks for home care and recipes. In one video, she shared how one can deep-clean a house in six weeks.
@thefoxypineapple Replying to @Alma Flores more information on my deep cleaning process. #cleantok #cleaningtiktok #cleaningroutine #cleaninghacks #howtoclean ♬ original sound - Tammy
You can follow Tammy (@thefoxypineapple) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.