With the holiday season winding down and millions of gifts exchanged, both consumers and postal services are on high alert for scams. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has issued strong warnings about deceptive text messages from scammers posing as the agency. These messages often mix concerns about package tracking or delivery with unfamiliar links, enticing recipients to click through and potentially jeopardizing their personal information.
The USPS stresses the importance of vigilance and warns customers to avoid engaging with such messages. Their advice is straightforward: "don’t click the link!" This practice, commonly referred to as “smishing,” involves scamming victims through text messages disguised as communications from trusted sources. "These scammers often attempt to disguise themselves as a government agency, bank, or other company to lend legitimacy to their claims," the USPS explained.
Fraudsters use these tactics to extract sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, Social Security numbers, and credit details. The USPS highlights its commitment to customer security, ensuring users of its tracking services do not receive unsolicited messages or links. "If you did not initiate the tracking request for a specific package directly from USPS and it contains a link: don’t click the link!" warns the agency. Instead, customers are encouraged to report suspicious messages and check tracking statuses via the official USPS website.
At the same time, other holiday scams are surfacing, highlighting the emotional toll on victims. Katherine Goodson, for example, recounts her harrowing experiences of being scammed not once, but twice by people impersonation the beloved actor Keanu Reeves. Goodson first connected with what she thought was the real Reeves online back in 2022 and quickly fell victim to the scammer. After sending money, she realized she had been tricked and attempted to warn others through social media.
Things took another turn for Goodson shortly after she moved to San Diego when she started communicating with another individual claiming to be the famous actor. The supposed Reeves reached out to her, seeking assurance through gestures of affection - asking her to send him $500 worth of gift cards as proof she was genuinely interested. Goodson confessed to NBC 7, "I did send it but then asked to hear his voice. Once I heard his voice, I said, 'You're not him,' and I blocked him."
Despite the hard lesson learned, Goodson found herself enamored with another fraudulent ‘Reeves’ who reached out after hearing about her previous scam. "Unfortunately, I wasn’t maybe listening to the warning signs and ended up falling in love with the fake Reeves," she remarked. Over two years, she sent over $65,000 through Bitcoin, gift cards, and cash, encouraged by the false impression of a serious relationship. The fake Reeves concocted excuses to avoid physical meetings and even introduced her to alleged members of his management team.
By August of this year, having lost nearly everything, Goodson realized the extent of her mistake. Now living out of her car, she openly shares her story with the hope of helping others avoid her fate. "I don’t blame anyone but myself," she acknowledged candidly as she reflected on her experiences.
Both the USPS and Goodson's stories are cautionary tales, especially during the holiday season when scams proliferate. The USPS urges individuals to report suspicious messages and reminds customers of the system's always-free services. Simultaneously, Goodson's wish to raise awareness exemplifies the emotional manipulation often experienced by victims of scams, underlining the necessity for vigilance.
Holiday scams have evolved, intertwining deception with emotional tactics. Whether it’s fake package notifications or celebrity impersonations, the holiday season provides fertile ground for scammers. Both the USPS and Goodson’s narratives resonate as urgent reminders to be cautious, resist emotional enticements, and seek out verified channels for information. Shifting away from dependence on digital communication, maintaining personal vigilance can be the best protection against falling prey to these scams.
