Your phone pings, alerting you to a new text. You swipe to find a message from the USPS. It tells you the scheduled delivery for your package has been changed and they want you to click on a link to confirm. Just one click, and it’ll be done. Stop! Don’t click that link.
If you receive a text like this, you are likely looking at a scam. Here’s what you need to know about the USPS smishing text scam. What is smishing? It's when someone tries to trick you into giving them personal information via a text or SMS message.
How the scam plays out
The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is warning of an uptick in smishing scams that use the USPS as a cover. If the victim clicks on a link in a message like the one described above, they’ll be downloading malware, giving the scammer access to their device and personal info.
Stay ahead of this scam by knowing this simple fact: The USPS never sends unsolicited text messages about deliveries. You’ll only get a message from them if you’ve signed up for alerts about a package’s delivery. If you haven’t, and you still receive a message about a scheduled delivery change, you’re looking at a scam.
What to do if you’re targeted
Report the scam
Do your part to stop the scammers by reporting it to the proper authorities.
First, email a screenshot of the text to
You can also report the scam to FTC.gov.
Stay alert and stay safe!
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