BALTIMORE –

With the busiest time of year for sending and receiving packages approaching, this also means cyber thieves are out in full force to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers.

The Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland tells 11 News there were 330,000 identity theft scams reported by businesses nationwide last year, half of which were related to package delivery.

“Delivery fraud is the most widespread and reported fraud this year and last,” said Clay Campbell, marketing director for the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland.

One of the most popular scams uses emails and text messages to steal money or obtain personal information.

Cory Donovan told 11 News he gets the messages often.

“I definitely think it’s becoming more common. Everyone I talk to gets them all the time too,” Donovan said.

“I’ve gotten them many times and it usually happens around the holidays,” Billy Nishchuk told 11 News.

The BBB said the texts or emails purport to come from a delivery company — such as the US Postal Service, DHL or FedEx — and sometimes even use the same company logo. The messages generally claim that there is something wrong with the package delivery and ask the recipient to click a link or pay money to ensure they receive the package.

“These scammers know that people are expecting deliveries, so they target you as they know you are expecting a delivery at this time of year. This is the easiest time for her to surprise you. They’re expecting a lot of deliveries for Christmas.” “So you lose track of which shipment is coming from which carrier and when you’re expecting a delivery,” Campbell told 11 News.

Campbell recommends that anyone who receives such a message check their email address or phone number, as many scams are international in nature. He recommends paying attention to wording that conveys a sense of urgency – and never clicking on links.

“What you should do is go directly to the delivery provider’s website. So go to usps.com or the DHL website and inquire directly there rather than clicking on the links that are sent to you,” Campbell said.

For those who get scammed, Campbell told 11 News it’s important to reset all personal credentials and get a credit report fraud alert.

Campbell said artificial intelligence has made it easier for scammers to craft more convincing messages. So always be on your guard, especially on holidays.

“Just be careful. Be careful and be safe. Don’t answer them. Delete them, spam them, block them,” Nishchuk said.

For more information or to report a scam, follow this link from the BBB.