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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — ‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, and whether you’re buying holiday gifts or decorations, millions of people will be ordering items and having them delivered to their doors.
All that business also attracts scammers, who are trying to trick customers into thinking there’s been a problem with their packages being delivered. A bogus text going around claims it’s from the U.S. Postal Service, warning users that their packages haven’t been cleared because of the wrong zip code. It then prompts users to click a link and enter their personal information.
But will USPS send you something like this?
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According to the latest data from 2022, USPS processed more than 11.7 million mail and packages during the holiday season. With even more people shopping online, experts predict we’ll see even more packages being shipped this year.
Now, there’s a text message making the rounds claiming to be from the Postal Service. O’Rork said this message and others like it are scams.
“All of those attempts are just phishing attempts to get your information,” she said. “Most of the text messages will say it was an unverified address, or I need you to confirm your address.”
O’Rork said scammers are hoping to take advantage of the uptick in packages being ordered during the holidays.
“I think they are going to start coming much more often than what we have even seen them in the past and I think they are going to be text messages as well as emails,” O’Rork said
The United States Postal Inspection Service issued a warning, telling customers it would never ask users to verify personal information via text message.
“USPS will not send customers text messages or e-mails without a customer-first requesting the service with a tracking number, and it will not contain a link,” the agency said.
If a customer didn’t initiate a tracking request for a specific package directly from USPS, and it contains a link O’Rork said don’t click on it. Even a momentary slip-up could lead to serious consequences.
“They want your information to either try to steal your identity or to steal your banking information,” O’Rork said. “At the end of the day, they want your money.”
The best thing to do is use the tracking number provided once your shipment is confirmed and only get updates directly from the vendor you purchased from.
Contact Meghan Bragg at [email protected] and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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