Postal Service customers take note — usps.com recently posted a warning about email scammers using the Postal Service’s name to access valuable personal information.

Customers being targeted receive bogus emails with subject lines containing the text: “USPS Delivery Failure Notification.” The emails claim to be from the Postal Service and contain fraudulent information about an attempted or intercepted package delivery. The emails instruct customers to click on a link to find out when they can expect delivery.

Clicking on the link activates a virus, which can steal personal information — such as user names, passwords or financial account information — stored on the computer.

Customers should simply delete the message and take no further action unless they choose to report the email as spam by contacting abuse@usps.gov.

The email scam is similar to a telemarketing scam uncovered by the Postal Inspection Service in which fraudsters masquerading as USPS employees were phoning residents and requesting birth dates and Social Security numbers as requirements for package delivery (Link, 10/31).

Corporate Information Security Officer Chuck McGann offers these tips on spotting bogus emails:

• The text contains poor grammar or spelling errors.
• The text states immediate action must be taken or customer could face dire consequences.
• The email requests personal information under the guise of re-confirming information.
• The text from an “automated message system” states “Click on this link for details.”

Customers with questions about a delivery by the Postal Service should call 800-ASK-USPS.

source: USPS News Link – Nov. 18, 2011.