Internet Scams - USPS

 

It happened to me today. I thought I was an informed internet user. I may still be, but I was completely fooled and lucky to escape with my wallet unharmed.

Here is what happened. I stopped by the Post office to mail a letter and decided to pick up a change of address form since I will be moving soon. In the lobby I could not find any forms but did find an information card about changing your address online. Perfect I thought, and went home. Later that morning I Googled the USPS and what came up in the search results was what I was looking for, or so I thought. I clicked on the link that said "USPS Change of address". In a couple of minutes I had completed the online form and reached the last page of the submission where you enter your credit card info. STOP: For only $39.99. At this point I was so angry the Post Office was going to charge me $40 I called them and spoke to the Postmaster. He put me straight in a hurry.

The real charge from the "Official" website is $1.05, which covers the cost of the credit card company verifying my ID.

In my haste to complete this task I had not gone to the "Official" USPS website but this scam site pretending to be the USPS. Long story short, Buyer Beware.

--
:260W, 50LM

Don't Google Anything

If Google doesn't get you they will send you to a site that will.

Well ....

jjen wrote:

If Google doesn't get you they will send you to a site that will.

The mistake was taking the short route via the Google link, go to the USPS main page and navigate to the change forms. Do this with ANY company website you might have to enter sensitive info on.

If you don't know the company's address, 'Google' it, but don't click on any links, instead write it down and manually enter the address. In general company main pages have simple to remember addresses.

No where on the internet is fool proof, if you have even the slightest doubt close the page right away.

--
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

.

mldorsey wrote:

The real charge from the "Official" website is $1.05, which covers the cost of the credit card company verifying my ID.

In my haste to complete this task I had not gone to the "Official" USPS website but this scam site pretending to be the USPS. Long story short, Buyer Beware.

I know you said you couldn't get one but if you use USPS change of address form, it's free, isn't it? The $1.05 is only applicable to online submission at https://moversguide.usps.com

Do you mind telling us the "scam" site name? I have doubts that it's considered a scam (or a USPS look alike site). It sounds to me more like a website that sells service at a very high cost.

Beware

There are many crooks out there who will purchase websites similar to popular ones just for the very purpose of scamming people. One typo or searching Google or clicking on an ad can land you in a heap of trouble. Such a shame. I've had the opposite occur as well where you go to the site you think it is and it turns out to be something very different than what you expected.

I just searched that phrase myself to see what it shows and those first few lines are paid advertisements which are not entirely legit. If you search, make sure you are going to the main website listings not the ads.

checking junk mail

I always check thru my junk email to make sure it is junk
several time's I've had a notification about a ups being ready for delivery just click here for more info, well I know when I have a package coming so be carful with the clicking !!!
oh and about that money in a bank in Africa waiting for me to reply im busy right now so hold on to my money until I get back to you. lol

Other hijack sites posing as the Post Office

There's another one: Once or twice a month I get an email that bounces to the Spam folder in my Gmail account. It says something to the effect that there's an issue with a package I have mailed or is on it's way to me. First red flag is it includes a tracking number which is "only" about eight numbers in length. HAH!! Right there you know something is fishy because I think real USPS tracking numbers are up to about 83 numbers now! grin

Anyway here's the kicker: the link in the mail you're supposed to click on shows as the/an actual real USPS link for help. Who knows where it actually goes though or what it will do as I have never clicked on it. But if you enter it manually in a new window it takes you to a legit USPS web site. (At least it LOOKS legit.)

This has to make the USPS go crazy. BEWARE

--
"Primum Non Nocere" 2595LMT Clear Channel and Navteq Traffic

Rich foreign relatives

geo334 wrote:

I always check thru my junk email to make sure it is junk
several time's I've had a notification about a ups being ready for delivery just click here for more info, well I know when I have a package coming so be carful with the clicking !!!
oh and about that money in a bank in Africa waiting for me to reply im busy right now so hold on to my money until I get back to you. lol

Yeah: I have so many rich foreign relatives emailing me that I'll never have to pay for a hotel when I go over there for a visit with them. When I retire I'm going to reply to all of them and click on everything with my PIN, Gold, Platinum and Uranium card numbers and take a round-the-world visit tour!

They're going to Western Union me the money so it's going to be a FREE trip! Can't wait to meet them!

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"Primum Non Nocere" 2595LMT Clear Channel and Navteq Traffic

Thanks

Thanks for the info.

--
Val - Nuvi 785t and Streetpilot C340

Junk USPS and others

I never open my junk email.
I right click and get properties and can see the address it is really from. It is always something different than it said if it is junk or a scam. If it looks like something that might be mine I click on the details and see more information where it comes from. You can also click on message source to see more but by the time I see who it really comes from I just go in and block that site.

I have received the USPS and FED-EX you have a package that we could not deliver. By right clicking and checking properties as I said above is all you need to do to see who it really came from.

Also, when I do a Google search I always see what the web page is taking me to. You can see below the large heading the web site. You can also look in the left bottom corner of the web browser to see where the link will take you. When you do a search for USPS you can see changemypostaladdress and addresschangeservices are the web pages you are going to go to. If you look down further you will see www.usps.com as the address under the large heading.

BUT as OCD as I am I have all the postal web sites saved in bookmarks and I go to them and then search for what I need.

I am getting old and hope I remember to do all I am doing now. There are a lot of places out there that are like crooks waiting on the corner for me to walk by. grin

--
Mary, Nuvi 2450, Garmin Viago, Honda Navigation, Nuvi 750 (gave to son)

All good advice and tips

All good advice and tips above. The twist I was speaking of was a link/URL in the email that looks completely legit, and actually is if you open a new window and type it in manually . I still never click on them anyway because I know what the genuine article (email) from FedEx, UPS or the USPS actually looks like. I have notifications set up and receive them occasionally with status updates and delivery notices (both success and failure.) The biggest hint though is the ridiculously short tracking number they provide in the scam email.

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"Primum Non Nocere" 2595LMT Clear Channel and Navteq Traffic