“This is the season for fraud.
As the holiday season reaches its peak, the U.S. Postal Service is warning customers to be wary of holiday scams when sending or receiving gifts this year.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the postal agency's federal law enforcement agency, said, “The holiday season brings cheerfulness, joy, and togetherness, but scammers and their scams can darken the season.” I am. stated on the website.
There are several scams the USPS warns customers are vulnerable to, including counterfeit mail, phishing and smishing scams, and “snow damage” from mail and package theft.
Here are the types of email scams you should be wary of and what you need to know about them.
“Smishing”
“Smishing” is one of the most common scams, especially during the holiday season, and involves fraudulent text messages offering to track your package.
This is a type of phishing that aims to steal personally identifiable information (PII) such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and account passwords.
Smishing specifically involves text messages and phone numbers.
“Victims typically receive deceptive text messages designed to trick recipients into providing personal and financial information.” USPIS warns. “These scammers often impersonate government agencies, banks, and other businesses to lend legitimacy to their claims.”
USPS offers free tools to track specific packages, but it will not text or email customers unless they first request service using a specific tracking number. , it does not contain any links.
To request service, please text your package tracking number to 28777 (2USPS). The texts sent by the agency typically include the tracking number, package status, date, time, location, and instructions to stop receiving messages. Again, do not have Must be a clickable link.
Per USPSthe text will look like this: “USPS 01123456789123456789, estimated delivery date: Monday, September 11, 2017, reply STOP to cancel.”
If you believe you received a fraudulent text from a sender pretending to be from the Postal Service, we encourage you to email spam@uspis.gov and take the following steps:
- Copy the body of the suspicious text message and paste it into a new email without clicking the web link.
- Please enter your name in the email and also include a screenshot of the text message showing the sender's phone number and the date it was sent.
- Please include relevant details in your email. For example, if you click on a link, if you lose money, if you provide personal information, or if your credit or identity is affected in any way.
- If further information is required, the Postal Inspection Service will contact you.
- Forwarding smishing/text messages to 7726 (spam) can help report fraudulent phone numbers.
“Snow” fell with counterfeit mail
The number of counterfeit stamps being sold online is increasing, and the quality of counterfeit stamps is also increasing, making them difficult to spot.
Are you looking for great deals on stamps online? Are great savings of up to 50% off on United States Forever Stamps orders too good to pass up? If so, keep scrolling. They're probably fake .” USPIS said.
Scammers often try to target customers through social media, third-party e-commerce sites, and pop-up ads.
To avoid purchasing counterfeit stamps, USPIS recommends that you purchase them directly from the USPS or from an approved postal provider, such as an authorized “bin” or warehouse retailer that has a resale agreement with the Postal Service. is recommended.
Theft of mail or packages
Although mail and packages can be stolen at any time of the year, USPIS warns that thieves are especially targeting gift packages delivered during the holiday season.
To protect yourself and your email, USPIS recommends Don't leave your mail or packages unattended for too long; pick them up right away.
If you will not be home to receive your package, please make other arrangements or use USPS Hold Mail Service. Recipients can also pick up the package at their local post office using the “Hold for Pickup” option.
USPIS warns that it's not worth the risk of sending cash through the mail. Additionally, if you haven't received a check, credit card, or other valuable mail, contact the sender as soon as possible to find out.
If you're the sender and you're emailing something important, consider requesting signature verification from the recipient.
