If you receive a text regarding the delivery status of a package you never ordered through the United States Postal Service…ignore it.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is reminding customers the importance of avoiding trending scams while sending and receiving gifts. The most popular scam is “smishing” which appears as fraudulent text messages indicating package tracking.
Undisclosed texts with questionable tracking information and clickable links should be avoided to prevent scammers from gaining personal information. Fake delivery texts prey on consumers’ curiosity, especially those who think the package may be an unexpected gift.
Smishing, specifically done through text messaging, is a form of phishing – the fraudulent practice of sending messages disguised as a reputable source to induce individuals to reveal personal and/or financial information, such as social security numbers, credit and debit card numbers, and account passwords.
A victim of smishing typically receives a deceptive text message from a scammer trying to act as a government agency, bank or other institution, like the USPS.
The most recent scam includes the text “You have a USPS parcel being cleared, due to the detection of an invalid zip code address, the parcel cannot be cleared.” Then, you are asked to click on a link or open in it in a web browser where the scammer requests your personal information.
Even though USPS offers text messaging to track packages, customers must register to initiate it. USPS does not send tracking texts or emails without a customer first requesting the service, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
If you are suspicious a message you received is a scam, it’s best to ignore it. The text is a scam if it requests personal information or payment for redelivery.
Here are a few things to remember:
• Legitimate delivery texts only provide information. The text is a scam if it requests personal information or payment for redelivery. Amazon provides driver updates with a link, but the link takes you to Amazon’s website and requires your login information.
• If you have any doubt about the legitimacy of the text, bypass the link and check your messages directly on the sender’s website.
• Legitimate retailers like Amazon always text from the same five or six-digit number.
• When the United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, Amazon and other online retailers message a delivery update, they do not ask or require customers to provide any information.
