Understand how the fake gift delivery scam works

The fake birthday gift scam is a form of physical fraud that exploits commemorative dates to steal money from victims. Unlike purely digital scams, this fraud involves face-to-face interaction with a supposed delivery person. The premise is simple: the victim is informed that they have received a gift (usually flowers, chocolates or cosmetics) from an anonymous sender, but must pay a symbolic delivery fee upon receipt. This is when theft occurs, through tampered card machines or fraudulent applications.

Technical definition of fraud

Technically, this scam is a variation of vishing (voice phishing) combined with in-person social engineering. Criminals use leaked databases (available on the dark web or on illegal marketing lists) to identify the victim’s date of birth, address and telephone number.

The success of the operation depends on creating a scenario of urgency and emotional reward. When receiving a physical gift, the victim tends to let their guard down, activating a cognitive bias of reciprocity and gratitude. The fraudster exploits this psychological vulnerability to justify charging a transport fee, at which point he uses compromised payment devices to debit exorbitant amounts, often in the thousands of reais, instead of the advertised symbolic fee.

How the fake gift delivery scam works

The execution of the crime follows a structured script to ensure that the victim does not have time to reason about the legitimacy of the charge. The process can be divided into clear steps:

1. Data collection and prior contact

Scammers monitor leaked data lists to find birthdays of the day or week. In many cases, they contact you via phone or WhatsApp hours before delivery, confirming the address to “release shipping” and generate credibility. They inform you that the gift has already been paid for, but there is an outstanding travel fee.

2. The in-person approach

A motorcycle courier arrives at the victim’s address carrying the physical gift. The item is real and visible (a bouquet or a box of chocolates), which serves to validate the story. The delivery man usually acts in a hurry, claiming to have many deliveries, to pressure the victim to act quickly.

3. Refusal to pay in cash

This is the critical step. When the victim offers to pay the fee (generally between R$5.00 and R$10.00) in cash, the delivery person refuses, citing company rules or a lack of change. He insists that payment must be made exclusively by credit or debit card, as it needs to be “registered from the system”.

4. Manipulating the machine

When inserting the card, the scam takes place in one of the following ways:

• Damaged display: The machine’s display is broken or covered by tape, preventing the value from being read.
• Altered value: The delivery person enters a much higher amount (e.g. R$2,000.00) instead of the agreed rate.
• Ghost Software: An app on the scammer’s cell phone simulates a low-value transaction on the screen, but processes a high value in the background.
• Card exchange: In a moment of distraction, the delivery man exchanges the victim’s card for a similar one and leaves with the original card and the entered password.

Common warning signs and tactics

Identifying the patterns used by criminals is the main form of prevention. The tactics focus on making it difficult to check transactional data.

• Visual display lock: The delivery man tries to hide the value field on the machine with his finger, stickers or by claiming that the display is “burnt” or has little shine due to the sun.
• Strong refusal of money: The absolute insistence on using the card, even for negligible amounts, is the biggest indicator of fraud.
• Gift without clear sender: The delivery person claims not to know who sent it or says it is an anonymous surprise, preventing the victim from calling someone to confirm the shipment.
• Fake error messages: The scammer claims that the transaction failed and asks to swipe the card again or use another card, multiplying the loss.

Financial risks and prevention

Recovering amounts lost in this type of scam is complex. As the transaction is carried out in person using a card with a chip and password (strong authentication), many financial institutions interpret the transaction as legitimate at first glance, making immediate refunds difficult.

Effective protective measures:

• Refuse extra payments: If you didn’t order the service, don’t pay delivery fees. Gifts sent legitimately already have shipping paid by the sender.
• Check the display: Never enter the password if you cannot clearly read the value and modality (debit/credit) on the machine’s screen.
• Real-time notifications: Keep bank app notifications turned on. If the amount charged is incorrect, you can identify it immediately.
• Prioritize contactless payment (NFC): Although not immune, contactless payment (via cell phone or card) avoids handing over the physical card to the suspect and reduces the risk of card exchange.

FAQ

1. Does the bank return the money stolen in this scam?

It is not guaranteed. As the transaction is made using a personal password, the bank can claim that there was no security breach in the system. However, it is possible to contest the purchase alleging fraud (article 171) and coercion, and it is necessary to present a police report.

2. How do scammers know it’s my birthday?

Through mega data leaks that occur periodically. Information such as CPF, date of birth and address circulates illegally on the internet and is purchased by gangs to carry out targeted fraud.

3. Can I receive the gift without paying the fee?

Generally not. The delivery person (who is part of the scam) will refuse to leave the item without payment, as the objective is not delivery, but rather theft via a machine. The safest thing is to refuse receipt if there is a charge.

The fake birthday present scam exemplifies the evolution of property crimes, combining technology and psychological manipulation. The most robust defense lies in the systematic suspicion of unplanned charges, especially those that exclusively require the use of a card in person. When faced with a delivery person demanding fees to release gifts or surprise gifts, refusing payment and immediately contacting family members or supposed senders nullifies the effectiveness of the fraud.