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Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

troyhunt.com

21–30 of 576 posts

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#21
post #4
post #2

Suggest Law: If a company's electronic notification to you is so phishy that a "reasonable man" would have obvious cause to doubt its legitimacy, then all financial and legal consequences of ignoring it are on the sender . Edit: " sender " here refers to the sender of the electronic notification .

In this case the consequence is that the Australian government agency collecting the import tax doesn't get paid. Which means that they don't release the package to FedEx, and that you don't get your package. FedEx needs to do a better job with these notifications. At the very least they need to hire a copywriter.

Our local FedEx once asked me for my details so they could be able to declare my package to the customs and in the SMS message they said that "The sender is paying all declaration fees." I sent them my info and got my package.

Then about five months later, I got a bill from FedEx for import fees, tax and service charges. Had to fight with FedEx for some time about it but eventually they agreed to void the bill. At this point in time, I have no idea if I paid the taxes when I bought the stuff, if FedEx paid them out of pocket or if the sender paid them out of pocket.

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#22
post #3

Maybe its just the hunan brain bad at perception, but I feel like there's some system compromised and info is leaked so scammers know when you are expecting a package because FedEx/USPS spam text increases.

But in a modern day and age, when aren’t you expecting a package? Nearly 100% of the time, I am expecting a notification from Canada Post or Amazon (FedEx less frequently, but still). Even outside of that, you can often predict when people are expecting a package. Christmas. After various sales weeks.

> But in a modern day and age, when aren’t you expecting a package?

When you’re not constantly buying things online. Most people in the world aren’t expecting packages “nearly 100% of the time”.

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#23
Wow. Just wow. Troy Hunt does an incredible job of calling out this utterly piss-poor performance from FedEx. Shame it needs somebody with a platform like this to draw attention to it. They should find a way to make them somehow more liable for fraudulent losses.

It's gotten to the point now where it sometimes actually is impossible to speak to a human being in customer service - the thick layers of chat bots, deliberately gated 'contact us' pages and "why not use our app" nags.. ..if you're savvy enough to know already that only a human can resolve your particular query, getting hold of one can become a time consuming and sometimes traumatic experience. (only slightly tongue-in-cheek, I do actually believe this affects mental health)

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#24
The Booking.com scams look better than the actual "Self check and pre payments solutions" links send via the Booking hotels.

1 time I was right it is a scam, 2 times it was wrong.

Booking.com should make a proper report payment circumvent button and kick out all hotels who do it.

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#25
One out of ~10 international shipments of records I had in the last year one was from FedEx and they sat on it in their out for delivery warehouse in a nearby town for two months with the usual pass the buck/pillar to post treatment. The extra fees plus customs they put on added up to 40% of the value of the items as well. DHL and UPS arrive within a week and are normally no higher than 25%

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#26

Your security is increasing at risk from organisations and corporations whose own grasp of security is appalling. Because instead of dealing with it they externalise risks and consequences onto the public and customers. Even worse, is where attempts to query that security is actively punished . This is typical now. Listen here (at 42:20) with an example regarding the UK NHS whose incompetence plays directly into the…

Since the link to this podcast is in your profile, you're affiliated with it, right?

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#27
post #9

Not that I’m endorsing the use of smart phones, but FedEx does have a mobile application. Why not just use that for notifications regarding deliveries?

You mean everyone should install a piece of software from a company that appears to be ignorant about security?

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#28
post #24

The Booking.com scams look better than the actual "Self check and pre payments solutions" links send via the Booking hotels. 1 time I was right it is a scam, 2 times it was wrong. Booking.com should make a proper report payment circumvent button and kick out all hotels who do it.

How do those booking.com scams work?

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#29
post #6
post #2

Suggest Law: If a company's electronic notification to you is so phishy that a "reasonable man" would have obvious cause to doubt its legitimacy, then all financial and legal consequences of ignoring it are on the sender . Edit: " sender " here refers to the sender of the electronic notification .

Any time the law sets things like "reasonable" it's a quagmire. For every utterance of "reasonable" in law you can be sure over $1B of laywer fees have been (or will be) spent.

True, to a degree. But let's imagine that (1) FedEx felt that profits were more desirable than legal expenses, and (2) FedEx had some power over the sending and contents of the notifications. Might FedEx decide to start following well-regarded standards for writing and sending legit-looking electronic notifications? And iterate from there, as an ongoing strategy?

Re: Thanks FedEx, this is why we keep getting phished

#30

I found a Reddit post today about a German bank mailing USB sticks containing their new general terms and conditions: https://www.reddit.com/r/de/comments/1ax7ky3/milde_interessa... You can't make this up.

I will simply refuse to believe this is real. As a psychological defense mechanism.

What the hell.

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