Does Usps Send Text Messages In 2022? (It Is A Scam + More) There are many vulnerabilities in technology, and phishing is one of them. The weakest links, though, can often be unwitting human beings. The difficulty is that many retailers and organizations do send out legitimate texts to their customers. You may wonder if […]


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Does Usps Send Text Messages In 2022? (It Is A Scam + More)


There are many vulnerabilities in technology, and phishing is one of them. The weakest links, though, can often be unwitting human beings.



The difficulty is that many retailers and organizations do send out legitimate texts to their customers.

You may wonder if USPS can send you text messages. I did some digging and here is what I found!

Can the USPS transmit text messages by 2022


The United States Postal Service does send text messages, but concerned customers should be aware that they do so only when an individual has requested them. The legitimate messages include updates regarding package delivery progress. USPS will not send you text messages containing links, or ask for personal information.

To learn more about what kinds of text messages USPS does send, how to recognize if a text is a scam and what you should do if you do get a scam text claiming to be from USPS, you need to keep reading below!

Can USPS Text Messages Be Sent About Delivery Changes


USPS sends text messages only about delivery updates – not changes – and only if you have signed up to receive text messages.



The USPS doesn’t send uninvited text messages.


Recent reports have been made by people claiming that they are from USPS. The messages say:

“USPS – The scheduled delivery for shipment XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX has been changed. Here is the confirmation:


Finally, the message ends with a hyperlink. An example of this type of text can be seen here.



Another scam message might refer to an “Urgent Notice” followed by a hyperlink.



You may get malware by clicking on the link.



Clicking on a link can seem very appealing, especially when you already know that the item you want is coming.

Because of these came, it is good to get in the habit of approaching any text message that contains a link with a wary eye, and you’ll be less likely to automatically click on one about a supposed “delivery change.”

How can you tell if an email is not from USPS?


In order to scam consumers, they use weird spellings.

You can see the extra space between “delivery” & “for” in the above image.


Anything you receive from USPS will be free of grammatical and spelling errors.



There is also the shipment number in the scam text. This looks like an order number that can be used by a range of retailers, such as Old Navy.

USPS tracking numbers, however, are longer at 20-22 characters and include no letters. USPS tracking numbers for domestic use are typically “94”, 93, or “92”.


Finally, USPS legal texts have a distinctive but similar structure.

It will look more like this: “USPS 01123456789123456789, Delivered 01/15/2014 11:10pm NORTH ANDOVER MA 01845 Reply HELP 4 info-STOP to cancel”

How do you check whether your USPS account is active?


If you are receiving suspicious texts, check to see if your account is set up to receive USPS delivery notifications.



It is easy to verify if your account has been set up on the USPS website.



Your tracking number will be entered as though you were monitoring the status of your parcel.



Once you are satisfied with your results scroll down a bit and go to the “Text & E-Mail Updates” section. With the chevron icons to your right, you can increase the header.



What you will see is a list of text and email notification options you could have opted into. They will be reviewed if you have.



You won’t receive any if you do not see them. The text that you got was a fraud.



You may also look at your text messages to check whether you have signed up.

USPS provides an initial text to confirm your consent to receiving notifications.

What Number Does USPS Text From?

If you are signed up to receive text notifications from USPS, the general number from which they message is “28777.”


Scammers also send SMS messages using 10-digit numbers like this example.



If that is possible, you will know that you have signed up for notification and, more important, that this text was not from USPS.



The reason is that all USPS text messages would have been part of the initial optin text conversation. This would not cause a new conversation under another number.


What can you do if USPS sends you Smishing texts?


Receiving smishing (SMS phishing) texts is jarring and feels intrusive, but you can fight back in one small way.



According to the United States Postal Inspection Service website you can report smishing attempts [email protected]



Copy and paste from the text, but don’t click on the link. Take a screen and attach it as an attachment to your email.



As much information as you possibly can regarding interactions you have had with the number.



Don’t be embarrassed if you responded and offered up information before realizing. These scammers have mastered the art of convincing people to believe their stories.



You can rest assured that you did not click on the link.



You can read our posts related to if USPS First Class has tracking and updates tracking.

Conclusion


US Postal Service can send texts messages. However, only customers who are signed up will receive them.



If messages from 10-digit numbers contain links that may indicate there is an “urgent note” or “delivery modification”, they should be reported as suspicious and investigated by the relevant authorities.

Do You Think There is a Scam in the Usps Industry?


Federal government officials will never call, text, or email to request your information for ‘helping’ with free kits. Scammers will not contact you asking for your Social Security Number, credit card number, and bank account information. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), advises users to not respond. January 21, 2022

Are You a Scammer with the USPS?


Never sign up to receive a tracking request from the USPS regarding a package. Don’t click that link. This type of text message is a scam called smishing. Smishing can be described as a type of Phishing that uses a mobile number or text message.

What number will you use to send SMS?


28777


.Does Usps Send Text Messages In 2022? (It Is A Scam + More)


The post Does Usps Send Text Messages appeared first on Go Guru.