LANSING, Mich. — The state of Michigan is alerting residents of a scam claiming to be from the United States Postal Service (USPS).
“Smishing” texts have been sent to Michiganders notifying them of deliveries with supposed tracking links, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
We’re told these texts try to convince recipients to provide sensitive information such as account numbers, passwords and/or social security numbers. These may grant scammers access to users’ devices and other personal information.
“It is critically important for people to recognize a scam like this and avoid giving out their personal information,” says Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Clicking on fraudulent links can lead to identity theft, the installation of malware on your device, and could lead to your contact information being sold to other bad actors who are also looking to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.”
Nessel warns Michiganders to NOT:
- Give your phone number to anyone except a person or organization you know.
- Assume texts are from a legitimate source, as scammers can spoof their numbers.
- Give sensitive information after receiving unsolicited texts.
- Click links delivered in suspicious messages.
- Respond to suspicious texts, including prompts to reply with “STOP.”
- Follow other instructions to opt out of additional texts.
The state says the scam is common and may appear like the text below:
