After ordering something online, many of us eagerly wait for the shipping info to hit our email inbox so we can track our packages from departure to arrival. But don’t let your excitement get the best of you. Not every email that appears to be sent from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is what it seems. In fact, scammers will often target people’s inboxes with fake messages claiming to be from the USPS. And while these notices can come in all shapes and sizes, the agency says one tell-tale sign that you’re being deceived is the presence of three specific words in the subject line. Read on to find out what you should be on the lookout for in your inbox.
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While you can receive legitimate email correspondence from the USPS, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)—the Postal Service’s legal arm—says it is “aware of the circulation” of fake emails claiming to be from the agency. According to a Jan. 7 update on the USPIS website, some customers have been receiving fraudulent messages in their email inbox that include these three words in the subject line: “Delivery Failure Notification.”
“If you ever receive an email about a package delivery or unpaid online postage charges, be careful,” the USPIS states on its website. “These emails appear to be from the U.S. Postal Service and include language regarding an unsuccessful attempt to…
