ST. LOUIS – As the holiday shopping season heats up, so do the tactics used by scammers targeting online shoppers and gift givers. A new wave of fraudulent text messages claiming to be from the US Postal Service is making the rounds and unsuspecting victims are falling prey to it.

The US Postal Inspection Service warns against clicking the link if you have never signed up for a USPS tracking request via SMS for a specific package. Scammers will attempt to extort personal or financial information from you, such as account usernames and passwords, Social Security number, date of birth, credit and debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs), or other sensitive information to fulfill other crimes such as financial fraud.

The scam messages often include the following: “Your account has been suspended,” “There is suspicious activity on your account,” “There is a problem with your shipping address,” or “There is a package waiting for you at the post office.” according to the US Postal Service.

In some cases, scammers may require payment to redeliver packages. However, USPS does not charge a fee for return delivery services.

If you receive a text message that you think is suspicious, do not click on any links or respond to the message. Instead, report it and visit USPS.com directly to confirm the status of your package.

If the fraudulent text message is related to USPS, report it to the US Postal Inspection Service. Here’s how:

• Report by Email: Without clicking any of the links, copy and paste the suspicious text message into a new email to [email protected]. Include your name and include a screenshot of the message with the sender number and sent date. Include all relevant details in the email, such as: B. whether you clicked on the link, provided personal information or lost money.
• Report via SMS: Forward the SMS to 7726 for help reporting the fraudulent phone number.

The Postal Inspection Service will contact you if further information is required.

Scam texts unrelated to USP may be sent to the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. You can also forward the message to 7726 for help reporting the fraudulent phone number.