Else Beekman
The Spanish National Police have issued a warning about a new scam that takes advantage of personal information found on discarded packaging labels, a tactic known both as ‘trashing’ and as ‘dumpster diving’.
‘Trashing’ refers to the act of searching through someone’s discarded waste—such as garbage bins or recycling containers—to find sensitive information that can be used for fraudulent activities. This practice is often linked to identity theft. Criminals look for items like bank statements, invoices, or packaging labels that may contain personal details.
Trashing’ and ‘dumpster diving’ are often used interchangeably because they both involve searching through discarded waste for sensitive information. However, ‘dumpster diving’ specifically refers to physically rummaging through large bins or dumpsters, often used in urban areas.
This method of fraud has become increasingly common during shopping seasons and discount periods when people are ordering more goods online and discarding more packaging.
How the scam works
The scam exploits the information present on package labels. Information that many of us discard without a second thought once the product is safely delivered. Police officials have highlighted that the labels on discarded packaging may contain sensitive information. This could include your full name, home or work address, email address, and even phone number or bank account. Criminals use these details to create convincing stories and earn the trust of their victims. Once trust is gained, the fraudsters can easily persuade individuals to provide their bank account numbers, often under the guise of needing to resolve a payment issue or delivery problem. This is how your household waste could be used against you in a scam.
An example from practice
In a recent case reported by authorities, a woman in Madrid fell victim to this scam after discarding several packages without removing the labels. The fraudsters used the information from her packaging to contact her, posing as a courier company claiming there was an issue with her recent delivery. They had enough personal details to sound legitimate. Consequently, they convinced her to provide her bank details to ‘process a refund’. She only realised she had been scammed after noticing unauthorised charges on her bank statement.
How to protect yourself
To prevent becoming a victim of this type of fraud, authorities advise people to carefully review all information before discarding packaging. Remove or permanently black out any labels containing personal details. In particular, check the inside of boxes for invoices or guarantees that could also hold sensitive information before disposing of them.
If you think you may have already fallen victim to this scam, police advise that you report it immediately, providing as much evidence as possible to assist in the investigation. Photographs or videos can be helpful to the authorities.