I got a weird text this morning. The text was supposedly from the United States Postal Service saying that I filled in an incomplete address and the item I wanted to be delivered couldn't be shipped to the address provided. I almost clicked the link sent with the message, almost, but didn't after I gave the message some thought. I decided to Google the number, and USPS Text Messages and discovered that this is a popular scam right now.

Image Credit: Paul Shea/TSM
Image Credit: Paul Shea/TSM
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On Satruday I purchased a dog joint supplement on Amazon, that was scheduled for delivery today, so when I first got this text I didn't really think much about it. I went to Amazon to check the order and didn't find anything wrong with the order or address listed for the supplement to be delivered.

After I checked my Amazon account, I Googled the number, and when that came up as a business in another state, not related to dog supplements, I then Googled USPS text scams and this is almost exactly what I found online from the US Postal Inspectors Office as a case of SMISHING.

"Smishing is a form of phishing that involves a text message or phone number. Victims will typically receive a deceptive text message that is intended to lure the recipient into providing their personal or financial information. These scammers often attempt to disguise themselves as a government agency, bank, or other company to lend legitimacy to their claims.

The criminals want to receive personally identifiable information (PII) about the victim such as account usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, date of birth, credit and debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs), or other sensitive information. This information is used to carry out other crimes, such as financial fraud." - US Postal Service

So what should you do if you get one of these types of texts supposedly from USPS? They want you to send them an email with the information, to spam@uspis.gov. The US Postal Inspection Office has other advice for sending the SMISHING information to them to investigate.

  • Without clicking on the web link, copy the body of the suspicious text message and paste it into a new email.
  • Provide your name in the email, and also attach a screenshot of the text message showing the phone number of the sender and the date sent.
  • Include any relevant details in your email, for example: if you clicked the link, if you lost money, if you provided any personal information, or if you experienced any impacts to your credit or person.
  • The Postal Inspection Service will contact you if more information is needed.

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