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May 10, 2012

If you are on the same spam/malware delivery email address list that one of my addresses is on, then you've perhaps seen dozens (or hundreds) of phony parcel delivery notifications. Their sole purpose is to get you to install malware, either by clicking on an attached file or visiting a booby-trapped hijacked web site.

The most common ploy the crooks use is to claim the attachment/link contains a copy of the shipping label or other documents — figuring that you'll want to see what goodies have been shipped to you but can't find their way to your door. That's why I got a bit of a chuckle from a message claiming to be from USPS (that's the U.S. Postal Service for those outside of the U.S.):

From: USPS Mail
Subject: Print the postal label

Delivery information,

Our company’s courier couldn’t deliver your parcel.

Status deny: Wrong postal code.
LOCATION:Charlotte
STATUS OF YOUR ITEM: sort order
SERVICE: Standard Shipping
NUMBER OF YOUR PARCEL:U062504390 NU
FEATURES: No

The label of your parcel is enclosed to the letter.
Print your label and show it in the nearest post office of USPS

Important information!
If the parcel isn’t received within 30 working days our company will have the right to claim compensation from you for it's keeping in the amount of $13.79 for each day of keeping.

You can find the information about the procedure and conditions of parcels keeping in the nearest office.

Thank you for using our services.
USPS Logistics Services.

[attached file: Label_Parcel_ID9279US.zip]

That's rich! The post office charging for "keeping" a package. The idea here is to encourage the recipient to act now on the attachment to prevent those "charges" from piling up. The message suggests you inquire about those charges at your local post office. I suppose that's one way to entertain the crowd of people in line behind you.