HOUSTON — As you wait for your package to be delivered during the USPS mail delay fiasco, we want to remind you that scammers know you are desperate, so don't fall for their schemes.
A scheme they are most likely to try amid these mail delays is the smishing scheme, which is a form of phishing where you're sent an unsolicited text message meant to appear like it's from USPS. The scheme is intended to lure you into providing personal or financial information.
These fake texts have been pinging cell phones across the country for a while now, telling you there's a problem with your shipping address or your package is waiting at the post office.
It's important to remember to NOT click on any links within the text or respond with any information. The link in the text will direct you to a fake USPS website.
USPS said it does not send text messages about unclaimed packages and it does not send links.
To be safe, as soon as you get one of these texts, delete it immediately.
The postal service offers free tools for you to track specific packages. You can register for these tools online. You can also initiate a text message with USPS, providing a tracking number. These are all free services.
Are you having issues with the post office? Send an email to mailproblems@khou.com and let us know. You can see our coverage of delays at Houston-area USPS processing centers on KHOU.com/PostalProblems.
Tracking the mail: Our stories on the postal delays
- Dec. 13, 2023: 'Processed as they are received' | In statement, USPS addresses issues at Houston-area post office
- Dec. 15, 2023: Man's medication stuck at Missouri City USPS sorting facility for a week and counting
- Dec. 16, 2023: New Hampshire woman joins list of people frustrated about packages stuck at Missouri City USPS sorting facility
- Dec. 19, 2023: 'Free my mail!' | Congressman looks into Missouri City postal facility with reported package delays
- Jan. 10, 2024: Congressman Al Green to tour Missouri City USPS facility with hopes of resolving mail delay issues
- Jan. 10, 2024: Here's why the post office says your mail is stuck
- Jan. 18, 2024: Package with $1,000 item stuck at Missouri City USPS processing center, customer says
- Jan. 19, 2024: 'We need to step it up and figure this out' | In one day, hundreds of people contacted KHOU 11 about mail delays
- Jan. 19, 2024: Congressman Al Green receives report from USPS Office of Inspector General on mail delay issues
- Jan. 19, 2024: Bride-to-be still waiting on wedding dress just days before big day
- Jan. 20, 2024: Candle shop owner worried about reputation after customers' orders stuck at USPS processing centers in Houston
- Jan. 21, 2024: 'It's not just Missouri City' | Houston’s mail delays extend to USPS northside facility, customers say
- Jan. 22, 2024: Houston congressman demands answers, calls for transparency from USPS on mail delay issues
- Jan. 23, 2024: USPS bringing in extra workers to help with mail delays at Houston-area processing centers, congressman says
- Jan. 24, 2024: 'A whole mess' | USPS employee says key piece of equipment is causing mail delays at Houston-area processing centers
- Jan. 27, 2024: Woman says her package took 81 days to be delivered amid ongoing Houston-area mail delays