Page 14 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 28, 2025 Don’t scan QR codes on unexpected packages A package you didn’t order could be a fun surprise, but be careful – especially if it comes with a QR code. It might be the setup for a scam. In a “brushing” scam, you receive a package you didn’t order, often without a return address. This is often a setup by unscrupulous companies who found your address online. After the company ships the product to you, they can post a fake, positive review on your behalf to improve their store’s ratings and get more sales. Reports to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker over the last few months show a twist on brushing scams where the package contains a QR code. The code comes with instructions to scan it to find out who sent the package or how to start a return. Scanning the QR code can lead to a phishing website or downMBTA | FROM PAGE 5 ley (inbound only) and at Jackson Square with the fare gates open. • Accessible van service will be available between North Station and Back Bay on the Orange Line as well as to Copley on the Green Line for continued subway service. Riders should see station personnel for assistance. • Riders should note that the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line is suspended between Oak Grove and North Station during the weekend of March 1 – 2. • The Commuter Rail will be fare-free between Forest Hills and South Station. • This service change is in place to accomplish signal upgrade work on the Orange Line. The new upgraded signal system will allow for more frequent service, improved scheduling, and enhanced safety. By upgrading its signals, the MBTA expects to significantly increase operational efficiency, reducing wait times and improving scheduling reliability for all riders. • Orange Line service will be suspended between Oak Grove and North Station beginning at approximately 8:30 PM on Friday, March 7, and continuing through the entire weekend of March 8 – 9. • Free and accessible shuttle buses will make all stops beload malware onto your device. In one BBB Scam Tracker report, a consumer received a package of pasta via Amazon in her name. Thinking it was a gift from a friend, she scanned the QR code that came with the package. The QR code took her to a website that appeared to be Amazon. The consumer said she has received a higher-than-normal amount of scam emails since scanning the QR code. In another BBB Scam Tracker report, a consumer received a ring in the mail that he did not order. The ring came with a QR code. The consumer checked BBB Scam Tracker before scanning the code, and after reading other reports about brushing scams, he decided not to scan it. It might seem like there are no downsides to a free package, but tween Oak Grove and North Station. • Express shuttle buses will stop at Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station. • The Haverhill Commuter Rail Line will be fare-free after 8:30 PM on March 7. • Riders should note that the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line is suspended between Ballardvale and North Station during the weekend of March 8 – 9. • This service change is in place to support critical work as part of MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge Superstructure Replacements project, which will replace the two deteriorated bridge superstructures and improve bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. On the Red Line: • Red Line service will be suspended between JFK/UMass and Braintree during the weekends of March 8 – 9, March 22 – 23, and March 29 – 30. • Free and accessible shuttle buses will make all stops between JFK/UMass and Braintree. • Riders are strongly encouraged to use the Middleborough, Kington, and Greenbush Commuter Rail lines for fare-free service between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass, and South Station. Commuter Rail schedules are available on mbta.com. • Travelling between Braintree it could be a sign that someone is using your personal information for their own gain. If this happens to you, BBB recommends checking the security of your accounts and notifying the retailer who sent you the package. What to do if you receive a package you didn’t order: • Don’t scan QR codes. They might take you to a phishing site that steals your personal information or downloads malware onto your device. • Protect your identity. If you did scan the QR code and enter personal information, change your passwords for any accounts that might have been compromised, and enable two-factor authentication. Keep a close eye on your credit reports and credit card bills after you receive the package. and South Station on the Commuter Rail is about 24 minutes. • Riders should note that regular Commuter Rail fares will be collected for travel beyond Braintree. • These service changes are in place to accomplish signal upgrade work on the Red Line. The new upgraded signal system will allow for more frequent service, improved scheduling, and enhanced safety. By upgrading its signals, the MBTA expects to significantly increase operational efficiency, reducing wait times and improving scheduling reliability for all riders. On the Blue Line: • Blue Line service will terminate at Government Center with Bowdoin station closed during the following dates and times: • Beginning at approximately 7 PM on Friday, March 7, continuing through the weekend of March 8 – 9, and all day Monday, March 10. • Beginning at approximately 7 PM on Friday, March 21, continuing through the weekend of March 22 – 23, and all-day Monday, March 24. • Riders can board and disembark the Blue Line at Government Center station, which is less than a quarter mile or about a four-minute walk from Bowdoin. • Riders should anticipate slight• Notify the retailer. If you can tell where the package is from, go directly to the retailer’s website to get their contact information and report the package as a scam. Retailers like Amazon have policies banning brushing and fake reviews, and they will investigate your report. • Check for fake reviews. If you can identify the company that sent you the packages, look for false reviews in your name and report them to the retailer. • Pause deliveries. One package is no big deal, but some targets of brushing scams are overwhelmed with a floor of unordered packages, creating a serious problem. If this happens, you might want to consider temporarily refusing package delivery at your home address and directing your real orders to a package acceptance service. ly longer time between trains of about 7 – 8 minutes beginning at 7 PM through the end of service on March 7 and March 21. • This service change is in place for Maintenance of Way crews to perform critical infrastructure upgrade work. On the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line: • Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line service will be suspended between North Station and Swampscott during the weekends of March 1 – 2 and March 8 – 9. • A dedicated diversion schedule will be available on mbta.com. • Express shuttle buses will operate directly between Swampscott and North Station. • Shuttle buses will also make local stops between Swampscott, Lynn within the busway at the legacy station, Wonderland for connections to the Blue Line subway, Chelsea Station for connections to the Silver Line 3 (SL3), and North Station. • The last outbound shuttle bus will also make a special late-night stop at Salem and Beverly Depot. • Commuter Rail will be farefree between Swampscott and Newburyport or Rockport. • Passengers may utilize the SL3, which travels through Chelsea and East Boston to Logan Airport, the Seaport District, and South Station, making connec• Keep the package. The one silver lining of brushing scams is that you get to keep the gift – the Federal Trade Commission says you have a legal right to keep unordered merchandise. Don’t try to return it, especially if there are instructions to scan a QR code or enter information. It could needlessly compromise more of your personal information. For more information: Visit www.bbb.organd its online shopping HQ for more tips on shopping safely online. Read BBB’s article on brushing scams. Stay alert to shipping fraud by visiting FedEx’s website, the U.S. Postal Service and UPS’s online resource center. If you spot a delivery scam, report it. Visit BBB.org/ScamTracker to report your experience and help others learn the signs of a scam. tions to many area bus routes (including the 111, 112, and 116) as well as the Blue and Red lines. • This service change was in place to support critical signal upgrade work at North Station as well as critical work as part of MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge Superstructure Replacements project, which will replace the two deteriorated bridge superstructures and improve bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. On the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line: • Haverhill Commuter Rail Line service will be suspended between Oak Grove and North Station during the weekend of March 1 – 2. • A dedicated diversion schedule will be available on mbta.com. • Orange Line subway service can be utilized between Oak Grove and North Station. Passengers are encouraged to utilize Green Line service between North Station and Copley for service through the downtown area. Free and accessible shuttle buses are also replacing Orange Line service between Jackson Square and Back Bay, which is less than a two-minute walk from Copley on the Green Line. • This service change is in place for crews to perform critical signal upgrade work at North Station. • Haverhill Commuter Rail Line service will be suspended be
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