Palos Park, IL – Residents across Cook County are being warned today after police reported a new wave of fraudulent USPS-themed text messages designed to steal personal information. The alert follows a victim’s report to the Palos Park Police Department Wednesday afternoon after receiving a suspicious delivery notice.
According to Palos Park Police, scammers are sending texts and making phone calls that appear to originate from official U.S. Postal Service numbers—a tactic known as Caller ID spoofing. The messages often claim a package is “delayed due to incorrect address,” urging recipients to click a link to “update” their information.
Police say the link leads to a phishing site where scammers attempt to collect names, addresses, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data. In Wednesday’s case, the victim had recently shipped a package to Italy, making the fraudulent message appear more convincing.
Authorities emphasized that the U.S. Postal Service will never call or text customers asking them to verify personal information for a delivery. Any such communication should be treated as suspicious.
Residents in Palos Park, Cook County, and the greater Chicago metro area are encouraged to delete the messages immediately and avoid clicking any links. Anyone who believes they may have provided information to scammers should contact local police and their financial institutions as soon as possible.
Police also encourage the community to share the warning with friends and family, noting a rising trend in USPS- and UPS-themed delivery scams across the region.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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