The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be on the lookout for scam artists who are pretending to be working with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and sending out fake emails in an attempt to secure personal information.
The fake emails, which are designed to look like they are from the USPS, are about an attempted or intercepted package delivery or online postage charges.
If you open the email, you’ll most likely be asked to click on a link, open an attachment, or print a label. However, the last thing you should do is click on a link in an email from a sender you’re not sure about. That’s because clicking on a suspicious link could set off a virus. Consequently, your personal information could be stolen. Your passwords, usernames, and financial information could become vulnerable. And being an identity theft victim is not fun. It could take months, sometimes years, to resolve.
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If you see an email like the one described above, the Better Business Bureau says you should delete the message and don’t take action unless you decide to report the email as spam. You can do this sending an email to abuse@usps.gov.
Chuck McGann,United States Postal Service Corporate Information Security Officer, offers these tips on how to spot fake emails:
– The e-mail text contains poor grammar or spelling errors. This is usually one of the first signs that something is not quite right. More often than not, a professional organization will carefully spell check emails sent to the public.
– The e-mail states immediate action must be taken–or else. If you’re threatened with dire consequences for not taking action right away, something is definitely wrong.
– Personal information is requested under the guise of re-confirming information. They should already have your information. Beware if a company claims it just wants to “double-check.â€
– An e-mail from an “automated message system” states “Click on this link for details.” Don’t click on the link! You’re asking for trouble if you do.
For more information on this scam, visit www.bbb.org