Latest news with #USPS-related
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
USPS warning customers of 'brushing' scams
The Brief The United States Postal Service is warning about a rise in a variety of scams against customers. "Brushing" scams are a growing concern. The USPS has made thousands of arrests for mail-related crimes since the launch of "Project Safe Delivery." TAMPA - The United States Postal Service is warning about new types of phishing and smishing scams against customers. The agency says there are also growing concerns over new types of scams. What we know Postal officials say there are a variety of types of scams that they see, and that scams continue to evolve and become more sophisticated. "Victims in our area have been defrauded through lottery scams, Publisher's Clearinghouse scams, romance scams," USPS Postal Inspector Damien Kraebel said. The USPS says it commonly sees phishing scams through emails and smishing scams through text messages. The scams are all targeting customers' personal information. Postal officials say there are several red flags to look for in any message you receive about tracking a package or claiming to be the USPS. OTHER NEWS: Child injured in shark attack along Southwest Florida beach "If it's got a country code on it, it's not from the U.S. Postal service, right?" Kraebel said. "If it has a country code from the Philippines, that we don't send text messages from the Philippines." Kraebel says spelling or grammatical errors are also an immediate cause for suspicion. He says real messages from the USPS also never include links to click on. The USPS says "brushing" scams are a growing concern. These scams involve sending unsolicited items from a seller, who then posts fake reviews to boost sales. "For example, in Publisher's Clearinghouse scams, the victim may be called on the phone to say that they've won that, but they may also receive mailings that appear to be from the publisher's clearinghouse," Kraebel said. "And they'll even come with a fake check." Dig deeper In 2023, the USPS launched "Project Safe Delivery", which targets mail-related crimes. In its first year, the USPS says there was a 27% decrease in letter carrier robberies, and there were more than 2,800 arrests made due to mail-related crimes. The scammers tailor their tactics to different groups and demographics. "You might see younger people fall more for employment scams because they're seeking jobs, where elderly might fall more for romance scams or honoree scams," Kraebel said. It's easy to fall victim to these scams, but it's not always easy to track down the person responsible. Once your personal information is out there or your money is gone, postal officials say it's hard to get it back. "They certainly don't make it easy," Kraebel sad. "And the nature of international telecommunications makes it difficult." If you find yourself falling into one of these traps, postal officials encourage you to keep track of your credit accounts, annual credit reports and to freeze your credit if necessary. The USPS also encourages people to forward USPS-related scam emails to spam@ and smishing scam texts to 7726. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former Seekonk postmaster accussed of stealing nearly $20k of government money
The former postmaster of the Seekonk Post Office has been arrested and accused of stealing over $19,000 in government money. While serving as the Postmaster of the Seekonk Post Office from November 2023 to about February 2025, Bethany LeBlanc, 48, generated a total of 25 no-fee money orders to herself, totaling approximately $19,917, according to United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. 'Money orders are generated by the USPS and serve as a safe alternative to sending cash or a check through the mail,' Foley said. ''No fee' money orders are issued solely for the purpose of paying USPS-related expenses and, thus, no fee is charged.' LeBlanc allegedly gave false invoices for USPS expenses to clerks at the Seekonk Post Office, who would then issue the money orders to her. For many money orders, LeBlanc allegedly entered the names of her relatives and friends to make it seem as if the funds were coming from sources other than the USPS. She then allegedly spent thousands she gained from these 'no fee' money orders on personal expenses, including money spent at casinos. The charge of theft of government money provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Phishing, smishing and brushing': USPS warns against scams following uptick in mail crimes
The United States Postal Service is encouraging the public to be wary of mail-related scams after seeing an increase in phishing attempts during the 2024 holiday season. The USPS is working to educate consumers on avoiding scams and preventing fraud as part of their Delivering for America plan to improve mail services and ensure the sanctity of the mail stream, according to Sherry Patterson, Postal Service strategic communications specialist. They partner with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the nation's oldest federal law enforcement agency, to understand the latest threats to the postal service and consumers, including mail-related scams and violence against mail carriers. "We're taking an aggressive step to make the delivery of mail and packages more secure and reliable," said Patterson. "The 10-year Delivering for America plan is a $40 billion investment aimed at modernizing and revitalizing a postal service to create a high-performing, financially stable organization capable of serving this nation for generations to come." Mail-related scams often come in the form of phishing emails, texts or the delivery of packages that attempt to steal personal information. Smishing is a type of phishing that is attempted through SMS or text messages that typically include a link to check a package's tracking status or request additional information to deliver a package. These texts are almost always scams, as USPS does not send unsolicited texts and never sends links by text message. Brushing occurs when someone receives an unsolicited package containing a low-cost item and is intended to inflate the appearance of sales and product reviews, according to U.S. Postal Inspector Brook Robinson. When an individual receives the package, it may mean their information has already been stolen and fake reviews of the product are being made in their name. "If customers receive brushing packages, is important to report them to (the U.S. Postal Inspection Service) and make a plan to protect your personal data. If you receive an unsolicited item, you may keep it, throw it away, or return to sender," said Robinson. Brushing packages can also include a printed QR code that attempts to steal personal data when scanned. Robinson urges citizens to never scan QR codes that seem untrustworthy or click on links that are sent by someone they do not know or trust. He asks that individuals who receive USPS-related phishing, smishing or brushing attempts forward them to spam@ or text them to 7726. "Treat your personal information as if it were cash; think before you send it away," said Robinson. Outside of cyberspace, mail theft still remains an issue for a number of consumers. Robinson recommends consumers not leave packages unattended, retrieve their mail regularly — especially checks arriving in the mail — and ask the local post office to hold their mail when leaving town. However, consumers are not the only target of mail theft. After seeing an increase in violence against mail carriers and mail theft in 2023, USPS and the United States Postal Inspection Service launched Project Safe Delivery to protect postal workers and the mail they deliver. Nearly two years later, over 2,400 arrests have been made and the postal inspection service reports a 27% reduction in robberies. These efforts extend to protecting citizens from mail theft as well, with law enforcement making over 1,200 arrests for the crime in 2024, according to Robinson. Through Project Safe Delivery, USPS raised the reward for information leading to the arrest of individuals who have robbed a mail carrier from $50,000 to $150,000. They also increased the reward for information identifying mail thieves from $10,000 to $100,000. Currently, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service relies on forensic technology to track criminal activity and data analytics to monitor trends in mail-related crimes. But Robinson says Project Safe Delivery still has ambitious plans to improve its efforts going forward. "We will continue to work with our local state and federal law enforcement partners to relentlessly investigate crimes with the postal nexus, and attain justice for victims," he said. "By the end of this year, we aim to enhance further our technological capabilities to combat postal crimes, like mail theft, mail fraud and violence against postal employees." For more information on the latest mail-related scams and fraud, visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website.
