Scammers are posing as airport employees via email to lure people into sending them money, Clark County officials said this morning.
In the scheme, recipients are told they have a package waiting for them at McCarran International Airport and that they must pay in advance to pick it up, officials said.
Details about the package vary, but each email has falsely identified the sender as an airport employee and solicits a payment via wire transfer, airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said.
Some of the scam emails even use the names and photos of managers at the airport and include links to the facility’s website to appear authentic.
“There is no legitimate reason for an employee of McCarran International Airport or the Clark County Department of Aviation to solicit funds through wire transfer,” Crews said. “If you receive a package delivery notice and don’t remember placing an order, it’s likely not legitimate.”
To report a scam, people are asked to visit the FBI’s tips page.
The Better Business Bureau has the following tips for people who get email package notices:
• Watch out for poor spelling or grammatical errors.
• Ignore calls for “immediate action.” Scammers often try to create a false sense of urgency.
• Don’t always assume logos are authentic. Fake email addresses usually have very slight variations from the real ones and it’s easy enough for a scammer to copy and paste a company’s logo into their message.
• Don’t be fooled by links and attachments. A good rule of thumb is to never click on any links or download files from unfamiliar email addresses.