As the holiday season nears, residents in the Western United States are increasingly being targeted by smishing scams, where criminals impersonate the United States Postal Service (USPS) to steal personal information. These scams usually involve unsolicited text messages that appear to come from USPS, often containing suspicious links that prompt quick action regarding a package delivery.
USPS identifies these fraudulent messages as part of a phishing tactic known as smishing, designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card details, or online account passwords. Scammers often use the heightened activity of the holiday season to their advantage.
Western residents are encouraged to remain cautious. 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.
