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That’s when the text comes through. It appears to be from the US Postal Service, and it claims that your packaged cannot be delivered. Sometimes this is due to an incorrect address, sometimes it’s because you weren’t home. Either way, the text contains a tracking link that appears to link to a USPS site. From there, one of two things could happen:
1. The link uploads malware onto your phone.
2. You are prompted to update your delivery address, payment preference, and other personal and financial information.
This is a smishing scam – an evolution of the tried-and-true phishing scam but moved over to SMS. Like all phishing lineage scams, it is largely a numbers game. Scammers scrape information from the internet and send text blasts out to see what sticks.
Some incarnations of this scam get more personal. For example, you may receive a voicemail with a callback number. If you call the number back, you will be prompted by the operator to verify your account information or the credit card number you used to purchase the package that has not yet been delivered. If the number has an 809-area code, or a 10-digit international number, simply calling it will move your money into the con artist’s pocket through high connection and per-minute fees. In some cases, the scammer will even leave a “missed delivery” notice on your door.
Red Flags:
· If the text prompts you to verify information, it’s a scam. USPS, UPS, FedEx, and Amazon will not send an unsolicited text prompting you to verify personal identifying information.
· If you are not actually waiting on a package, it is a scam.
· If you are prompted to pay money to receive your package, it’s a scam.
· Slight misspellings of the seller or shipping company’s name within the text and in links.
· When you follow the link, there is a lack of security protocol or a certificate error.
· The text contains a sense of urgency, including excessive capitalization and use of exclamation points.
If you do get an unable to deliver notice, do not follow text links or use call-back numbers. Instead, contact the shipping service or seller directly using verified phone numbers or websites.
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