The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) says that customers should be aware of email scams that are circulating that say you have a delivery “on hold.”
The scammers send an official-looking email complete with US Postal Service logos that say you have a package that can’t be delivered because of an insufficient address. Next they ask for a small amount of money to “re-deliver” your package. Then they’ll ask for credit card information – after that has been entered, a screen will pop up, asking for your date of birth and social security number to “verify and protect” your identity.
Don’t fall for it! It is a scam. Often if you look closely, you will find that the email address sending the scam email isn’t from the USPS at all. In some cases, the email address is based in the United Kingdom. Obviously, the United States Postal Service won’t be using an email address based in another country.
The USPS has clarified that they and their officials will not reach out to customers to ask for money or personal information.
Emails with subject lines such as “Delivery Failure Notification” could include a link which, when clicked, activates a virus to steal personal information such as passwords or financial details.
The Postal Service does not alert customers of package delivery attempts via email, and for that matter, customers should never give personal information out over email.
If you receive such a notice, simply delete it.
(WZQZ Chattooga County Radio)
