How you can avoid fake USPS text scams spreading ahead of the holidays

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — We’re in the season of giving, but some in our area are more worried about what could be taken from them.

Action News Jax is hearing from dozens of people sharing pictures of text messages from people claiming to work with USPS.

“It’s really frustrating,” says Kelly Aldred, a Nassau County mom who’s been getting the texts almost once a week.

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Most messages will tell you you’ve given USPS the wrong address for a package delivery. They come with a link, claiming it’s to confirm your address. Some even have a 12-hour deadline to click the link and provide your address and payment information.

Aldred’s first message came when she was looking for a package she’d ordered.

“I’m looking at the message like, am I not going to get what I ordered?” Aldred says. “Should I click on this?”

Aldred says she almost did click on the link, but blocked the number when she realized it was a scam. But, for her, it didn’t stop more texts from coming.

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“You ignore it, you block it, then they call back from another number, constantly,” says Aldred, “I’m just like, ‘quit calling my phone.’”

USPS has now opened a page on its website to report these scams and find tips to avoid them. If you click here, you can find ways to report scams directly to the agency.

But the one thing many recipients of these fake texts are still wondering, how to make them stop.

“Unless someone really does something about it, they’re going to keep coming to your phone,” Aldred says.

Action News Jax reached out to USPS to see if the scams are being investigated, and the best ways to dodge them. We’re still waiting to hear back.

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