![]() ![]() These scammers are after sensitive data such as the victim’s account usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, birth dates, credit and debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs), and other personally identifiable information (PII). USPS uses the 5-digit short codes to send and receive an SMS to and from mobile devices. These con artists frequently try to pass as a bank, government organization, or other business to give legitimacy to their claims. Although the settlement amounts range from $1 to $5, they look reasonable but are simply a smaller portion of a broader scheme to obtain financial data.Īre USPS text scam? Phishing via a text message or phone number is known as “smishing.” Often, victims will get a misleading text message that tries to get them to give over their financial or personal information. Settlement amount: Postal SMS scams occasionally refer to a “settlement” payment.Watch out for dashes or other words or numbers, such as “.” Scammers frequently use forged phone numbers, display names, and website addresses to trick victims into thinking they are communicating with a reliable source. An unauthorized URL: Links in USPS text scams resemble those on the legitimate USPS website but differ slightly.If they do, your confirmation email doesn’t match them. However, USPS text fraud doesn’t usually include shipment tracking information. Lack of knowledge: If you’ve missed a delivery that wasn’t expected, you probably want to know what it could have been.Unusual phone numbers: USPS text scams use personal 10-digit cell phone numbers instead of the five-digit numbers used for SMS marketing messages.Are texts from USPS scams? However, there are some characteristics that all USPS delivery SMS scammers share that can teach you how to spot them. Postal Service, and clicking on it could have disastrous repercussions. Scam with USPS text messages includes a link to reschedule a delivery and claim that you “missed” it. Also, links are not included in postal text messages.Ī phishing technique known as a “USPS text scam” involves a malicious actor sending texts purporting to be from the U.S. Is a text from USPS a scam? The most important thing to remember is that USPS will not send you delivery alerts or tracking text messages unless you request them. I think if you have the scamming information, and you share that information with others, the fewer people are going to be victims," said Jennings.Is there a USPS scam text? Fake text messages from the United States Postal Service (USPS) are being issued to entice recipients to click a link and provide their sensitive data. People should be aware and they should be vigilant. "I think it should put the community on their toes. If you receive a scam text like this, Jennings says the best thing you can do is delete it right away and report it to the FCC. It's significantly easier to steal money online or over the phone than it would be to say sell drugs," said Jennings. They're just throwing it until something sticks. "Honestly, it's kind of like the throwing spaghetti at the wall thing theory. Jennings says typically these texts come from people outside the country who use bots to try and contact people in hopes of making money off your private info. SEE ALSO: 'I believe in God's definition of marriage:' 3 lawmakers respond to same-sex marriage act You're going to get an email and you're going to be able to verify that information directly through that secure website," said Jennings. The United States Post Office, Amazon, Google, a lot of those agencies, are not going to send you a text asking you to update a shipping address that way. Jennings is advising people not to click on the link. "Scammers are using information that they get online to reach out to a whole bunch of different numbers, trying to essentially throw out as many hooks as they can until they catch a fish," said Jennings. Lynchburg Police Department is calling this a phishing scam and says it has no correlation to the actual United States Postal Service. RELATED: Scammers using loopholes to get around 'robocall' prevention tools Since most people get mail many days days a week, it is not impossible for a package to get waylaid," said Katie Jennings with the Lynchburg Police Department. They are in uniform and people see them every day. People know and trust the US Post Office. "In this case, scammers are using the United States Post Office as a front. It reads 'Postal Notice - You have a package that needs to be delivered, but it has been suspended due to an incorrect delivery address.' The text also has a link to what looks like a US Postal link attached. ![]() It's a scam designed to look like it's coming from the postal service. (WSET) - You may want to check your phone and see if you've recently got a suspicious text. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |