Spot Holiday Delivery Scams Amid Canada Post Strike

Canadians are facing a new wave of scams as fraudsters exploit disruption from the Canada Post strike to trick people into handing over money and personal information. With the postal work stoppage coinciding with the busy holiday season, scammers are using fake delivery notices, phishing messages and even deepfake phone calls to prey on consumers.

Equifax Canada’s chief information security officer, Octavia Howell, says the bureau has seen an “exponential” rise in fraud attempts over recent weeks, from phishing emails to sophisticated phone-based impersonations. “Any time there is a major political event, a major strike or anything like that, we’ll see an uptick,” she said.

Scams and fraud attempts on the rise

Scams tied to parcels and deliveries typically increase alongside a rise in online shopping during the holidays, but the Canada Post strike has added another layer of confusion that fraudsters are exploiting. Howell says Equifax Canada’s daily monitoring shows a dramatic surge in suspicious activity.

Instead of the few consumer fraud reports the bureau used to see, Equifax investigations have recorded far larger, concentrated spikes of activity. Howell described instances where the team logged “up to 87” related reports in a single day originating from the same IP addresses. She called that pattern “insidious,” driven by both seasonal demand and disruption to normal delivery channels.

How to protect yourself

The postal work stoppage began on Nov. 15, pausing routine mail and package deliveries at a time when many Canadians expect holiday shipments. Canada Post emphasizes that it does not contact customers by text or email about deliveries unless the customer has specifically requested that service.

The Crown corporation warns people to be alert for hallmarks of phishing or impersonation scams: messages with poor grammar, images or logos that don’t match Canada Post’s branding, or tracking numbers that don’t follow the carrier’s standard formats. Phishing messages attempt to trick recipients into revealing personal or financial information by appearing to come from a trusted source.

The Better Business Bureau issued a similar warning when the strike began, advising consumers to verify any alternative delivery services, avoid unsolicited offers from unfamiliar companies, and check a provider’s credentials before paying for services. Scammers often pose as legitimate couriers to request payment for “undelivered” items, to offer bogus “priority” delivery, or to request fees to release a held package.

Do not click links in unsolicited emails or text messages. Instead, go directly to the courier’s official website or contact the company by a verifiable phone number for updates. If a message demands payment to release a package or asks for credit card details to cover “service fees,” treat it as suspicious.

Report scams and fraud attempts

Canada Post recommends that customers who receive a suspicious email, text or call claiming to be from the postal service report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Businesses are also being impersonated. Timothy Byrnes, owner of Montreal-based courier Jet Worldwide, says scams commonly cite well-known brands as cover and sometimes invent third-party shippers in their stories. “They’ll say, ‘Hey, we have the package; it’s with Jet Worldwide right now. Once you send the money, we’ll instruct Jet Worldwide to ship it,’” he said.

One recent example circulating by text purported to be from the U.S. Postal Service and claimed a parcel was “temporarily detained” due to an “invalid zip code,” including a link to “clear” the shipment. The cloned site asked for credit card information and an expiration date to pay alleged fees. Multiple web browsers and security tools flagged that site as a phishing threat designed to steal personal and financial details.

Howell emphasizes basic verification and common sense: confirm whether you actually ordered the item in question, check the sender’s identity, and never provide financial information in response to an unsolicited message. “Always verify where it’s coming from,” she said. “Did you order something that cost $10,000? Just because it says that you did does not necessarily mean that you did.”

Being aware of the current environment—strikes, delayed packages and heightened media attention—helps, but it can also be used by scammers to lend credibility to their schemes. Howell advises taking a moment to step back before responding: don’t click links, don’t supply information, and confirm the source through official channels.

Read more about financial fraud:

• 10 common crypto scams and how to avoid them
• Canadian seniors, watch out for these scams
• “Can I get scammed through an e-transfer?”
• 6 phishing scams targeting young Canadians (and how not to fall for them)