Attention: Misuse of the GLS brand for fraud
Internet and email fraud incidents are on the rise. Fraudsters are misusing the GLS name to send fake emails to both individuals and businesses. If you have received or are still receiving a payment request, do not comply with it under any circumstances. If you have complied with a payment request, we strongly recommend filing a report with your local police. GLS distances itself from such fraud attempts.Here are some tips to help detect fraud and avoid being victimized:
- We do not transport cash (currency in legal tender), securities or bank checks.
- We do not intervene in economic money transactions, either between individuals or between companies.
- We are not intermediaries or depositories in the sale of second-hand products.
- We do not request payment details by e-mail or SMS to create a customer account at GLS.
- We do not use online platforms dedicated to the sale of products to promote our shipments or services.
- We will never ask recipients by e-mail to pay the purchase price of goods via an online payment system, credit card or bank transfer. In case you are expecting a parcel from a non-EU country or if you are based in a non-EU country you may be contacted to pay duties & taxes by Email, SMS or letter by either GLS or an authorized agent.
- Cash on delivery parcels sent using the GLS Cash Service are only given to recipients against cash payment to the delivery driver.
Please be aware that GLS is not liable for any damage caused by the fraudulent actions of third parties who misuse our company's name. Your safety is our top priority, and we appreciate your vigilance in preventing fraud.Known types of f
Known types of fraud and communication channels
There are a variety of different types of fraud on different communication channels, such as
- Fraudulent e-mails
- SMS / Instant Messengers
- Fake GLS websites
- Social media
We take a proactive approach to fraud and are grateful for any reports of fraudulent activity on behalf of GLS. Please let us know as soon as possible if you suspect you have received fake e-mails or SMS, or if a website or social media account is impersonating GLS, so we can take swift action to stop the fraud.
Please report any suspicious activity to our Information Security team at:
dataprotection@gls-netherlands.com
We thoroughly investigate every report of suspected fraud, but generally do not respond to personal enquiries. If you have questions about the status of a shipment or invoice, please send them directly to the customer service team of your country.
Fraudulent e-mails
GLS sends e-mails to customers only for related business needs like parcel shipping instructions or information about delivery status. GLS will never demand any payment by e-mail using Credit Cards, online payment systems or bank transfers.
Indicators for fraud e-mails:
- A 'phishing' e-mail is often sent from a gmail or Yahoo! account. E-mails sent by GLS always end in @gls-netherlands.com or @gls.nl
- In this form of Internet fraud, scammers pretend to be institutions, banks or companies
- E-mail subject that should build on pressure or threatens with consequences for the recipient
- GLS will never ask a recipient of a parcel to pay insurance costs
- Is there a payment involved, for example import duties for parcels to countries outside the EU? Then this is always paid directly to GLS and never converted into credits or balances
- Spelling mistakes and informal speech
SMS / Instant Messengers
If you receiving fraudulent messages via SMS or Instant Messenger, please provide us with screenshots of the conversation as well as the contact name and phone number of the person who sends you the message.
You can report fraudulent SMS and Instant Messenger messages to dataprotection@gls-netherlands.com.
Fake GLS websites
In the past GLS has discovered several fake websites using GLS logos, names and content that are used by criminals to commit fraud against GLS customers and non-customers. These websites are designed to trick people to obtain sensitive data like login credentials or financial data.
The main website of GLS is gls-group.com . From this gls-group.com you can access the websites of each GLS country. Only this website and the websites to which it links are legitimate GLS websites.
GLS only uses the websites:
- gls-group.eu
- gls-netherlands.com
- gls-info.nl
If you are not sure whether a website is from GLS or not, you should check the following things first:
- Is the URL address of the website related to GLS?
- Is the connection to the website secured? There should be a “lock” sign in front of the URL.
- Does the website look professional? Are there spelling mistakes?
If a website seems strange to you, please report it immediately to dataprotection@gls-netherlands.com by providing the link to the website. We will then carry out an investigation and take further countermeasures if necessary.
Social media
GLS runs some official social media accounts, among others on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. However, you will always see a link to our website gls-group.com and an imprint on official social media accounts. Furthermore, we will never actively write to you via messenger.
Below you can find some indicators to identify fraudulent social media accounts:
- The account is newly created or just a couple of weeks old
- The account provides no official information or contact channels
- The account have no reference to our main GLS website
- The account attempts to contact you proactively via instant messenger
- The account offers special gifts or reference to websites other than GLS
In case you have doubt that a social media account is valid, please report the social media account to dataprotection@gls-netherlands.com. If we confirm that the social media account is fraudulent, you can also report the account directly to the social media channel as fraud.
I am (possibly) a victim of phishing, what should I do?
Have you opened an e-mail, presumably from GLS that you do not entirely trust, and have responded to it? If so, report it to the police as soon as possible. On the website of fraudehelpdesk you can read more about different types of (internet) fraud. You can also report fraud there and ask which organisation you can best turn to if you are the victim of a scam.
Further known types of fraud
Deception on the doorstep
Scammers in a number of areas have come up with a new trick to defraud unsuspecting individuals of cash. They ring the doorbell – wearing the uniform of a well-known delivery company such as GLS – claiming that they have a cash-on-delivery parcel, often also saying that it is for a neighbour. The content of the parcel later turns out to be worthless.
Please do not pay for unexpected cash-on-delivery parcels – neither for yourself nor on behalf of neighbours. Check whether the label on the parcel is genuine and whether your name and address, and those of the sender, are shown correctly and in full. If you have any doubts, it is better to refuse to accept the parcel or to contact the customer services department of the relevant service provider.
Warning about ‘parcel agent’ job offers
Criminals who order goods online using false identities and illegally-obtained credit-card data have recently increased their efforts to recruit so-called "parcel agents". The work is usually offered as a part-time job and involves accepting parcels and forwarding them to other addresses, often abroad. The aim is to hide the final location of the fraudulently obtained goods. Police are warning against accepting job offers as a parcel agent. This supposedly lucrative side job means getting involved with fraudulent activity and money laundering – with legal and financial consequences.