In most USPS text scams, the provided URL will look nearly identical to the real one from the US Postal Service. If a text message asks for updated information, it’s likely a USPS scam. Real USPS text messages always include a legitimate tracking number, delivery date and time, and a USPS sender (or 5-digit short code). If the number texting you is a personal, 10-digit phone number, there’s a chance it’s a USPS tracking code scam. Here are some signs that the USPS texts you’re receiving are scams: Unknown senderĪuthentic USPS tracking phone numbers are five-digit short codes or come directly from USPS. USPS scheduled delivery text scams also follow many of the same social engineering patterns, such as trying to establish a sense of urgency, found in other messaging scams, like spear phishing. One of the best ways to recognize USPS text scams is to check for grammatical errors and links that are slightly different from official USPS URLs. According to Robokiller, scammers sent over 200 billion scam texts in 2022, a 307% increase in scam texts from 2020. In 2020, online shopping exploded thanks to COVID-19, which caught the eye of many scammers and thieves. USPS tracking scams didn’t pop up out of nowhere. Clicking on those malicious links may send you to pharming websites that look suspiciously like real sites, and you can be easily tricked into handing over data, such as your home address, login credentials, or other personal information. Scammers often use phishing messages to trick you into handing over personal information via suspicious links. This is a clear example of a USPS scam text, but as scams like these become more sophisticated, understanding how to identify fake text messages is critical. Thankfully, I wasn’t expecting a package from USPS and knew the message was a scam, so I deleted the text immediately and didn’t click the link. Check out the real-life USPS scam text I received below, where a fraudster urged me to click a link to update a delivery time.
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