It’s Not The Post Office!

USPS - Gephardt Daily

It’s Not The Post Office! 

 
uspsSeveral different scams involving the USPS have been making the rounds across the country. One of them is in the form of an email that you supposedly receive from the United States Post Office. The email doesn’t look like a scam, it looks like a shipping notification. The email says there was a problem with delivery, but your package is available at your local post office. It goes on to say that you should download the attachment, which supposedly contains your shipping receipt. If this happens, Bill Gephardt explains, you should push the delete button right away, as the attachment contains a virus which scans your computer for banking information. The real USPS says they do not contact customers via email if a package cannot be delivered.

The email scam is similar to a telemarketing scam uncovered by the Postal Inspection Service  in which fraudsters masquerading as USPS employees were phoning residents and requesting birth dates and Social Security numbers as requirements for package delivery. Gephardt said you might understandably want to call law enforcement to track down the scammers, but the number on your caller ID will be fake so you just have to hang up.
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Tips to Avoid Email Scams:

Spot common email scams by following these tips:

  1. Don’t believe what you see. Scammers make emails appear to come from a reputable source. Just because it looks like an “@usps.com” address does not mean it’s safe.
  2. Be wary of unexpected emails that contain links or attachments. As always, do not click on links or open the files in unfamiliar emails.
  3. Beware of pop-ups. Some pop-ups are designed to look like they’ve originated from your computer. If you see a pop-up that looks like an anti-virus software but warns of a problem that needs to be fixed with an extreme level of urgency, it may be a scam.
  4. Watch for poor grammar and spelling. Scam emails often are riddled with typos. At least one version of the USPS email misspells the word “couldn’t,” saying “Our courier couldnt make the delivery of parcel to you…”
  5. Immediate action is necessary. Scam emails try to get you to act before you think by creating a sense of urgency. Don’t fall for it.

What to do? Simply delete the message without taking any further action. The Postal Inspection Service is working hard to resolve the issue and shut down the malicious program.

If you have questions about a delivery or wish to report spam, please call 1-800-ASK-USPS or email [email protected].

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