Fake USPS Scam Calls, Emails and Texts: Do Not Click!

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has become a commonly impersonated government agency by scammers carrying out phishing attacks through email, text messages, and phone calls. These fraudulent messages often claim there is an issue with a package delivery or the victim’s USPS account in order to trick recipients into providing sensitive information or payments.

This article will break down how the fake USPS scams work, what techniques are used, how to identify fraudulent messages, and what steps to take if you fall victim to one of these prevalent schemes. After reading, you’ll have the knowledge needed to avoid having your personal data or money stolen by USPS impersonation scams.

How Fake USPS Scams Work

The majority of fake USPS communications follow similar patterns in their attempts to dupe recipients:

Email Scams

• Claims of undelivered packages that require the victim to click a link or open an attachment to resolve the issue. The link leads to a phishing site requesting personal info, while the attachment contains malware.
• Messages stating the USPS account will be suspended unless the victim updates or verifies their account details through the provided link. The site is fake with the purpose of stealing information.
• Emails with a fake USPS receipt for a purchased product, shipping label, or postal money order attached. The file contains malware that infects devices once downloaded.

Text Message Scams

• Texts alerting the victim of a missed, undeliverable, or inaccurate delivery. It provides a phony case number and USPS link to update delivery preferences or shipping addresses. The site steals data entered.
• Messages requesting the recipient pay a small “redelivery fee” to have a missed package sent again. This is done by clicking a link to a fake payments page that steals financial information.
• Texts stating tracking information has been updated and encourages the victim to click a link to view the latest details. The link goes to a phishing site designed to compromise account logins and passwords.

Phone Call Scams

• Calls from scammers impersonating USPS agents claiming you have fraudulent packages being shipped in your name. They request personal information to rectify the situation.
• Automated calls urging you to “Press 1” regarding issues with deliveries or tracking numbers. This routes you to a scammer requesting you pay a fee or hand over account details to fix the problem.

No matter whether the scam comes through email, text message, phone call, or other communication medium, the end goal of each fraudulent USPS-themed phishing attempt is to steal personal data, account login credentials, financial information, or money from victims who are tricked into believing the messages originate from the real United States Postal Service.

The scammers utilize social engineering tactics and technical deception techniques to manipulate innocent recipients into either directly providing their sensitive personal or financial information, unwittingly downloading malware onto their devices, or transferring funds to the criminals under false pretenses.

By presenting the scam messages as urgent notices from a trusted government agency that most Americans regularly interact with, the scammers increase their chances of deceiving victims into handing over the keys to their identities, online accounts, or bank accounts – allowing the fraudsters to potentially make off with the person’s good name, hard-earned money, or reputation.

How to Identify Fake USPS Messages

While scam emails, text messages, and calls often look convincing, there are telltale signs that can help you determine their fraudulent nature:

• Grammatical/spelling errors – Legitimate agencies carefully proofread communication. Errors signal an amateur scammer.
• Threats of account suspension – The USPS will not suspend accounts without prior official notices. Threats out of the blue are manipulation tactics.
• Requests for sensitive info – The USPS does not request personal details like social security numbers or banking information to resolve delivery issues.
• Links to non-USPS sites – Hover over and examine any links closely. Scammers often use lookalike URLs.
• Spoofed phone numbers/email addresses – Caller IDs and sender addresses can be faked. Verify the contact info is from official USPS domains.
• Requests for payment – No government agency demands direct payment via pop-ups, links, prepaid cards, etc. This is a sign of fraud.
• Strange attachments – The USPS does not send postal receipts or labels via email attachments. Opening them could infect your device.
• Poor grammar/formatting – Low-quality writing and email/text formatting errors demonstrate a scam.
• Questions personal info – USPS may verify identities, but will not cold call/email requesting in-depth personal or financial details.
• Threatening urgency – Scammers often rush and scare recipients into immediate action. Remain calm and cautious of demands, threats, or pressure.

Paying close attention to these red flags when reviewing any supposed USPS communication can help reveal whether it is legitimate or a scam attempt. If in doubt, reach out directly to the USPS for verification.

What to Do if You Receive a Fake USPS Message

If you get a suspicious email, text, call, or other communication claiming to be from the USPS, take the following steps:

• Do not click links or attachments – This could lead to malware or phishing sites designed to steal information.
• Do not provide information – Whether over the phone, email, text, or otherwise, do not hand over any sensitive personal, financial, or account details.
• Do not pay any requested fees – USPS will never request payments out of the blue to redeliver packages or unlock accounts.
• Forward phishing emails – Forward scam USPS emails to spam@uspis.gov and reportphishing@antiphishing.org to help combat them.
• Mark text scams “Spam” – On your phone, mark fraudulent texts as “Spam” to block future texts from the sender.
• Hang up on callers – It’s safest to hang up immediately on any questionable calls stating they are from the USPS.
• Contact USPS – Reach out to the official USPS customer service at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) to report the scam attempt and verify any actual issues.
• Update account passwords – If the scam involves your USPS account in any way, change your password as a precaution.

Alerting the proper authorities can help curb these scams and prevent others from falling victim.

What to Do If You Already Shared Information

If you provided sensitive information, clicked links/attachments, or paid money to a scam USPS message, take the following steps right away:

• Contact banks/credit card companies – Alert your financial institutions to closely monitor your accounts for any fraudulent charges or activity. Consider requesting new cards.
• Run anti-malware scans – If you clicked an attachment or link, scan all your devices with updated antivirus/malware software to check for infections.
• Change all passwords – Update passwords on your USPS account, email accounts, and any other accounts for which information was compromised. Enable two-factor authentication when possible.
• Place fraud alerts – Contact one of the three credit bureaus to request free 90-day fraud alerts on your credit files to help prevent identity theft risks.
• Monitor credit reports – Keep an eye on your credit reports for any suspicious accounts or activities that could indicate identity theft. Dispute anything fraudulent.
• File an FTC complaint – Formally report the scam by filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.
• Local authorities – You can also file a report with your local police department to create a paper trail regarding theft of personal information or money.
• USPS Inspector General – Report the fraud attempt to the USPS Inspector General at https://www.uspsoig.gov/form/file-online-complaint to aid investigations.

The faster you act, the better chance you have of limiting damages from any stolen personal data, financial fraud, or device infections that may have occurred. Don’t let embarrassment or fear about falling for a scam prevent you from taking action to protect yourself!

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Why USPS Scams Are So Deceptive

There are several key reasons why scammers have success deceiving victims with USPS impersonation scams:

• People expect packages – With frequent online shopping and mail order prescriptions, people anticipate deliveries, making scams about shipping issues more plausible.
• USPS is familiar – The USPS is a well-known government agency most Americans interact with, so they trust communication seemingly from them.
• Scares recipients – The threats of account suspension, missed deliveries, or identity theft incite fear that spurs victims into providing information.
• LOOKS official – Email headers, phone numbers, and message formats are spoofed to appear nearly identical to legitimate USPS communication.
• Rewards curiosity – Clickbait subject lines and fake tracking details pique people’s curiosity to open messages and click links they normally wouldn’t.
• Preys on concern – Scammers know people want to quickly resolve delivery problems, so they pretend to offer help.

Understanding these psychological tactics can help you recognize when communication aims to manipulate rather than assist. Remember, any legitimate delivery issues can be resolved by directly contacting USPS customer service – not through unsolicited messages.

Tips to Identify and Avoid Government Agency Scams

While USPS scams are rampant, fraudsters also impersonate other government groups like FBI, IRS, SSA, and more. Here are tips to avoid scams posing as government organizations:

• Verify strange requests – Agencies won’t threaten, rush, or pressure you. Double check any unusual requests by contacting the organization directly.
• Know how agencies communicate – Familiarize yourself with how different groups contact the public to recognize when something is off.
• Do not click links – Government emails with links or asking you to visit sites should be ignored. Manually type known URLs instead.
• Check for spoofing – Caller IDs, email addresses, and websites can be faked. Carefully examine and verify the contact info provided.
• Avoid revealing personal details – Do not hand over sensitive info like Social Security numbers or bank details to any unsolicited caller or email.
• Be wary of threats – Scammers use threatening urgency to blindside victims. No government agency will threaten you outright or make demands immediately.

Equipping yourself with knowledge of how legitimate government groups operate makes it far easier to discern scam attempts aiming to deceive you.

Conclusion

Fake emails, text messages, calls, and other communications impersonating the USPS remain highly prevalent. But understanding common scam techniques, urgent demands for personal details or payments, and threats of account suspension makes it possible to recognize and report fraudulent activity. Contacting USPS to confirm legitimacy before taking action on anything suspicious can help avoid falling victim.

While scammers become increasingly sophisticated in spoofing identities, awareness of the key signs of phishing attempts can keep your information safe. Never hesitate to reach out to official customer support numbers found on government websites if you have any doubts. Taking a few extra precautions could protect you from the damages caused by having your personal data, money, or identity stolen by scammers masquerading as trusted public services.