The text scam is a phishing scheme that sends fake messages claiming there is a problem with delivering a package.

The United States Postal Service is warning of a scam involving text messages that ask for information in order for a package to be delivered.

  • seaQueue@lemmy.world
    80·
    1 year ago

    They’re only like 18mo late on this one. So far I’ve seen USPS, FedEx, DHL and UPS flavors of this scam.

    • TrashMeNot@lemmy.world
      23·
      1 year ago

      I love how mine would get progressively more broken in English. Each day a new text with a new link and more failed grammar. Thankfully they gave up after a week.

      • Hotzilla@sopuli.xyz
        10·
        1 year ago

        There is probably a reason for this, the carriers start blocking these, so they have to break the words so they bypass those blocks.

        We had these in Finland two years ago, it originates probably from Russia, so we are their sandbox for these kind of cyber shit. Our carriers found out some way to block them and they are not anymore happening. One day our cyber security center just informed that they have co-operated with carriers to block them permanently. I believe the technique is not made public.

        Edit: did some digging, so it was keyword based blocking in the network + Europol raided the servers which commanded the malware

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    22·
    1 year ago

    I’ve gotten like 4 of these, and it’s honestly surprising to me that anyone with more than a dozen brain cells falls for these scams, since they’re comically obvious.

    So yeah I guess that actually accounts for like a good third or so of the country.

    • Fapper_McFapper@lemmy.world
      8·
      1 year ago

      They know that there will be a certain number of the population that will see these attempts as obvious. Those texts aren’t meant for us. They’re meant for the elderly and less savvy.

    • Oneobi@lemmy.world
      5·
      1 year ago

      Well, you say that but coincidentally I was expecting a parcel from a courier and received a well crafted text saying that delivery attempt failed.

      It’s easy to fall into a trap like this. It was only when I paused wondering why are they asking for my address did I realise its a scam.

      It was sent at 8:30, right during personal rush hour time.

      • greenskye@lemm.eeEnglish
        6·
        1 year ago

        Same thing happened to my wife. It was perfect timing with an actual expected package that missed delivery. Send out enough of these and you’re bound to get a few hits from people in the exact scenario you’re scamming for.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
        5·
        1 year ago

        Same here. My teen ordered something that was supposed to arrive this coming weekend. However it arrived early by USPS and the first I learned about it was when he got that scam text. I told him it looked like a scam, but I checked the real tracking number and the package was delivered.

        I wonder if they have a data source for real deliveries to target - the online store did use some third party tracker that I accidentally clicked on before going to USPS

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        Honestly, this is just an unfortunate artifact of the ubiquitous nature of technology these days, and the fact that most people don’t think too hard about what’s actually happening or how this crazy amalgamation of information and services operates, and simply consider it “convenient magic”.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    18·
    1 year ago

    I got a really believable scam text a couple of weeks ago from a purported collection agency. I’m having some debt issues and it looked very real. The fact that they didn’t say my name or who they represented were obvious clues, but I could definitely see myself not thinking about that and downloading their attached PDF.

    • Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      9·
      1 year ago

      Dude I got one too. I even Googled the website and it came up as legit. I just ignored it because fuck collection agencies. They can’t do anything If they can’t verify it’s you. Also I don’t have debt beyond my car payment which I’m ahead on so that was another hint.

  • SolNine@lemmy.ml
    12·
    1 year ago

    I’ve been getting these for ages now… UPS, USPS, endless scam texts all the time!

  • bgb_ca@lemmy.ca
    11·
    1 year ago

    Not only USPS. I got one today from “Canada posts” from a UK number. (I’m in Canada btw).

  • stown@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    1 year ago

    Please forward these text messages to spam@uspis.gov to help get the scam websites taken down and spam numbers blocked. Yes, you can send text messages directly to email addresses.

  • Branch_Ranch@lemmy.world
    10·
    1 year ago

    Ive been getting these texts everyday for the past couple weeks. Always from a different overseas #. I always block and delete, but its still happening.

    • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
      3·
      1 year ago

      Waste their time by engaging but giving fake information. I mentioned this in another comment, but the volume of scam shit I get went down after I started engaging with it and making them filter me out rather than me filtering myself out like the scams are intended to do.

  • xkforce@lemmy.world
    7·
    1 year ago

    It annoys me that they use different (probably spoofed) numbers that basically make it impossible to block them

    • Crikeste@lemm.ee
      2·
      1 year ago

      It’s been going on for at least a year. The scammers got exactly what they wanted, this warning means nothing now other than to signal the scammers that they need a new method.

  • Scott@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    I’ve got like 10 in the last week. Every single one has got an “eat my asshole” response.

      • username_unavailable@lemmy.world
        3·
        1 year ago

        I don’t know but he’s making it a more valuable resource. He is letting the spammers charge more for his number when they resell it since it’s verified.

      • Scott@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        At the same time it also costs them a penny each time I send them one, might just start sending images and costing them more instead.

        I’ve also worked with SMS APIs and roughly know the costs from provider to provider.

      • SadTrain@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 year ago

        Hell, I was looking at the spam filter on Messages and accidentally opened one. It was sent as an RCS message and I was worried I’d be flagged and spammed more because of the Read receipt.

    • stown@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      You should also forward each message to spam@uspis.gov (yes, you can text to email addresses) if you want to help take down the scam sites and get the numbers blocked.