It’s unlikely that you are receiving an unsolicited message from the U.S. Postal Service. Postal Service.
A recent phishing report by software company Guardio revealed that the Postal Service had been one of the brands most often imitated in phishing schemes during the second quarter.
The USPS warned its customers last month to be cautious of text messages that contain an unknown or strange link, indicating that a USPS shipment requires you to respond.
If you have never requested USPS package tracking, do not click on the link. The government agency called this type of text message a scam known as smashing.
Scammers may send messages to customers claiming that the package will not be delivered due to an incomplete address. The message will direct the customer to follow a link to complete the address so that the package can be shipped.
Some common phrases are “Your account is suspended”, “there’s suspicious activity on your accounts”, and “You have a package at the Post Office.”
Deceptive texts are used by bad actors to get victims’ personal information, such as usernames and passwords for accounts, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, debit and credit card numbers, or personal identification numbers. This will allow them to commit crimes, such as financial fraud.
Karin Zilberstein, Vice President of Product at Guardio said that these scams were the “natural, though very disturbing outcome” of the increase in online shopping.
Zilberstein said that hackers are exploiting this trend to create new relevant scams. These scams often imitate “standard” activities of the day, making USPS an easy target.
As most people expect a package to arrive, they will be more likely to fall for a scam and give out more personal information without suspicion.
How to identify if it is only from USPS
When sending out package notifications, the government agency only uses a 5-digit short code to send and receive messages to and from mobile devices.
Postal Service won’t send text messages or emails to customers unless they first request the service and provide a tracking number. The agency also said that the message would never include a hyperlink.
Report any scam texts received by customers who are waiting for a parcel and think they’ve been scammed. For tracking information and other resources, they should visit USPS.com.
A USPS spokesperson stated that the Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement arm and security of the United States Postal Service. It not only investigates crimes against the Postal Service and its employees and customers but also takes an active part in sending out crime prevention messages to Postal customers.
