These days, there will always be people attempting to steal your money, whether it’s a deceitful used car salesman or someone employing the latest SMISHING scam. From Dallas, TX, and beyond, it’s important to stay vigilant and not become too complacent.
The Federal Trade Commission and the United States Postal Inspection Service have recently issued warnings about a new scam called SMISHING. It is important to be aware of this fraudulent activity.
You might have experienced this without even realizing it. Have you ever received a text message notifying you about the tracking of a package you never ordered? Well, that’s what we call smishing. It appears that the number of scammers using text messages as a means of deception is rapidly increasing. This scam technique has earned the name “smishing” due to its reliance on SMS (short message service).
Smishing is a form of phishing that involves a text message or phone number. Victims will typically receive a deceptive text message that is intended to lure the recipient into providing their personal or financial information.These scammers often attempt to disguise themselves as a government agency, bank, or other company to lend legitimacy to their claims. USPS utilizes the 5-digit short codes to send and receive SMS to and from mobile phones.
Customers have been alerted by the United States Postal Service about scammers who are pretending to be them.
USPS wants to make it clear that they will never contact you through delivery texts unless you specifically request something like a tracking number. They also want to emphasize that their text messages will never include any links. If you have any doubts or suspicions, it is important to never click on any links provided.