As the holiday season approaches, Southwest residents are being targeted by a rise in smishing scams, where fraudsters impersonate the United States Postal Service (USPS) to steal personal information. These scams often come in the form of unsolicited text messages claiming to be from USPS, including suspicious links that urge immediate action regarding a package delivery.
According to USPS, these fraudulent messages are part of a phishing strategy known as smishing. The intent is to deceive recipients into disclosing sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card details, or online account passwords. Scammers often exploit the busy holiday season to catch people off guard.
Southwest residents are advised to be extra vigilant. To protect themselves, individuals should avoid clicking on links in unsolicited texts and verify any claims by visiting USPS.com directly. Suspicious messages can be reported by forwarding them to 7726 or emailing spam@uspis.gov.
