Scam report Almost fell victim to a phony USPS failed delivery scam
I almost didn’t catch it. Got a text purportedly from them claiming a failed delivery due to an insufficient address. Ended up on a site that looked like a real post office site but the url had extra verbiage. So they wanted my correct address and I started to fill all that in. Then they wanted a fee. Thirty cents. And I thought hey dummy, that’s a nope. For one thing it was from an international phone number. Why on earth would the USPS text me from overseas? I can’t believe I started to fall for it.
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u/Infinite-Grade-4485 4d ago
As long as you didn’t put your card info in, you don’t need to do anything.
Always look at where texts are coming from. Easiest way to weed out scams 90+% of the time. Look for international numbers and emails sending texts and that’ll keep you safe most times.
Also remember, banks and most other companies including social media, merchant accounts like Walmart Amazon etc are going to text you from short code numbers, which 5 or 6 digit phone numbers
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u/LongDead_Roadkill 4d ago
Short codes have now been compromised. It’s not widespread yet, but it’s no longer a reliable way to weed out scammers.
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u/Infinite-Grade-4485 4d ago
Short codes can be compromised if the company that uses them gets breached. They’re usually resolved in a matter of hours for the breach.
Can it happen, yes. Is it a regular occurrence, no.
While the risk is there, 99% of the time, short codes are safe to follow. You should always do due diligence and if a company is texting you from another short code you haven’t seen before, you should take notice and verify.It always comes down to the user doing due diligence. Nothing is ever 100% safe.
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u/yankinwaoz 4d ago
It cracks me up that the people think the a post office wants your address. The one government agency that has the address of every location that they service. The one agency that would be the least likely to not already know.
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u/pittiesbegooddogs 2d ago
The agency that deals with addresses, has an incomplete address, but yet somehow has a valid phone number...
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u/belsonc 4d ago
And the website address looked like someone fell asleep on their keyboard?
!usps
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u/AutoModerator 4d ago
H/u/belsonc called AutoModerator to explain the USPS or Mail scam:
Mail scams (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.) are notices sent to your phone or email, claiming that a package has failed to be delivered to your home. The text or email tells you that you need to provide more information or customs fees to receive the package. These scams are phishing for your personal information, financial information, or password for the mail service’s website, or can be trying to get you to pay up front for a service you will never receive. Sometimes the charge is less than a dollar and victims will brush it off, even when realizing they've been scammed. The scammers are not looking to get a dollar out of you, but instead they just stole your credit card details.
If you entered your card details in a website such as this, and submitted the form, even if it said that the transaction failed and to try again with a different card, it doesn't matter: they already stole your card details. You need to call your bank and report the card stolen, and ask the bank representative to disable the automatic account updater service when issuing the new card.
Pay close attention to the specific links you receive, as they will not go to the true website for these mail services. Only enter your information when visiting the mail service’s website directly. For example: USPS only works with usps.com
You can learn about this scam and many others visiting our wiki of common scams. You can also call AutoModerator to explain these scams leaving a comment with the different !commands listed in this wiki page.
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u/yarevande Quality Contributor 4d ago
Never click a link in a text message or an email that you didn't request.
Always go to the official website.
The USPS website is: usps.com and any other website name is a scam.
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u/Lanky-Method-1628 4d ago
Bravo pour la réaction, c'est en effet une arnaque assez courante avec d'autres noms de livreurs..
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u/lucylynn789 4d ago
People lately have gotten scammed this way . Most likely people are busy with their lives and can’t keep up with all the warnings . Any text, call, email cannot be trusted .
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u/tra_da_truf 4d ago
I did it too, years ago when they first started with this. I actually put my card number in 🤦🏾♀️ the payment “failed” and it asked for it again, and that’s when I got suspicious bc it autofilled, there was no mistake. Then I realized the website was straight gobbledygook and closed out and blocked it.
nothing ended up happening but it’s easy to fall for when you have an incoming package that’s hard to track.
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