U.S. Postal Service hosts scam awareness event
The U.S. Postal Service says consumers should be on the lookout for fraudsters, so it hosted an event on Wednesday to tell customers what to look for.
According to the Postal Service, they're making great progress in ensuring letter carrier safety. However, the customers of those letter carriers could be the victims of scams, and they want people to know about them.
The unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service is, "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," but the post office says one thing has prevented that.
"Lately, mail theft and crimes have threatened this connection," said Strategic Communications Specialist Mark Lawrence.
In 2023, the Postal Service started Project Safe Delivery, and while there's still a lot of work to do, officials say the situation is improving.
"Under Project Safe Delivery, there's been a 27% decrease in letter carrier robberies," said David Gealey, U.S. Postal Inspector and Public Information Officer.
That includes more than 2,400 arrests since the project started. Meanwhile, the Postal Service doesn't want customers to be hurt by scams. They have different names, but the aim is the same.
A recurring issue is texts saying you got mail, and there's a problem with the package or delivery.
"The United States Postal Service doesn't send unsolicited text messages," Gealey said.
What about if you get merchandise sent to you from a company you never ordered from?
"The goal is to inflate product reviews or sales rankings," Gealey added.
You can keep the mail if you want, but post office officials say if there's a QR code in the box, don't use it. It could be used as a gateway to confirm your personal information or address.
Finally, be wary of romance scams. If you are in the lonely hearts club, don't get taken and don't let anybody take your heart, money, or identity.
"Customers should never send money, checks, gift cards, or personal information to someone you've not met in person," Gealey said.
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