The holiday season is a busy one and bad actors are trying to take advantage of that.
If you have been receiving unsolicited texts about package deliveries and other topics, you’re not alone.
Just ask NBC CT Responds Consumer Reporter Caitlin Burchill. She has received multiple just these last two weeks.
And if they’re messing with someone who investigates consumer issues for a living, we suspect they’re trying to mess with many of you too.
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Burchill has recently received three texts allegedly from the United States Postal Service.
Two say a package address is incorrect and can’t be delivered to her door unless she updates the information.
The third said her package was detained because of an incorrect zip code, again asking her to click a link.
Local
USPS says if you never signed up for a USPS tracking request for a specific package then don’t clink the link. This is a scam.
Plus, it says for customers who have signed up for USPS tracking tools, these texts won’t contain a link.
Even if you do sign up for package tracking this holiday season from any retailer or package delivery service and you get a text from them, NBC CT Responds suggests you take the time and go to your computer.
There you can check in on the tracking status rather than risk clicking on a suspicious link in a text.
Burchill also received a sketchy text from an unknown number that she’d be a great candidate for a job.
An NBC CT colleague also got one on Tuesday offering a "great" remote job opportunity.
The Federal Trade Commission says these are most likely scams designed to steal your money or identity.
If you are looking for a job, use a legit job search engine, and do your research.
FTC says search the company's name along with the words, complaint, scam, and review.
If your phone allows it, delete and report these texts as junk, you can also forward them to the FTC too.
You can tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or forward them to 7726 (SPAM).
Reporting can help stop these scammers from hurting someone else.
