HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Viewers have been contacting ABC Action News after receiving suspicious text messages from numbers that claim to be the United States Postal Service.
The texts ask people to enter credit card numbers or other personal information to have packages delivered. The U.S.P.S. said the messages are scams.
“So this text message you received it actually says U.S. Post. Typically, if you're going to get something from the U.S. Postal Service, it'll say USPS. So that's red flag number one,” United States Postal Inspector Kristi Parkerson said.
Another red flag to look out for is the link or number the text is coming from. While it may look like a USPS tracking site, unless it says USPS.com, it is not real.
Parkerson said the USPS will never send you a text prompting you to enter any credit card or personal information. The only reason you would receive a text from USPS is if you signed up for tracking texts for a certain delivery.
Bryan Oglesby from the Better Business Bureau said the scammers' goal is to get personal or financial information out of you with these messages.
"They want you to click on a link to either steal your identity or they want you to go to a web page to submit payment information," Oglesby said.
If you receive a text- do not click on the link. Delete the text chain and report it to the Better Business Bureau Scam tracker or to the US Postal Service Inspections.
'Cruise lights' on Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office patrol cars raise questions, confusion among drivers
Every driver knows that when you see red and blue flashing lights on a patrol car, you slow down, pull over, or get out of the way.
But in Hillsborough County, drivers will also now see deputies with their lights on, but not flashing. They're called "cruise lights," and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) recently implemented their use on all patrol vehicles.
