Package Warning

Last week when I bought the zip-on fitted sheet (which is a bit deep for my mattress but delightful to zip off)  somehow I entered my address one digit off. Jumped through a few hoops, got the sheets.

Then I discovered on the USPS web site that I'd made the same mistake for a surprise sweatshirt I bought Gary, and the next morning Gary got this text message:

"That's odd," I thought, "Why are they sending the message to Gary?" we clicked that link and stopped at the spot where they said the package was three dollars extra, and that's when I pumped the brakes. 

I sent an email to USPS asking if my suspicious were valid and if there was another way I could pay, and almost immediately they called back and said, "That's a con." 

But it was so convincing! I would show you the professional page where that link goes, but I can't, all I get today is this:

Here's the odd thing: I really did have a package with the wrong address, one digit off. The postal customer service man explained my regular postman would have delivered it, but I had a temp today. In fact he was so helpful I began to think he might be a con artist himself, wriggling in to my good graces.

No con thoguh, just a coincidence, not surprising given how many packages Gary and I have been ordering.

Comments

[KC]

Good to know that con is out there! Yikes.

(is anyone else kind of annoyed that banks now sometimes *do* email you when something is awry? Because that "they will literally never do that" was super-useful once upon a time.)

[theQueen]

KC - I've had phone calls and texts from banks (Bank of America) but I don't recall any emails. that would be troubling, though. luckily we can always see the actual sender if we click.

[KC]

Uh. Email sender addresses can be spoofed; do not put too much stock in that.

Yes, also definitely not a fan of the "click here or call this number to resolve this problem" texts! Because come on!!! About one in ten of that type of bank text received is for an actual bank we have an account with, and that is just not great odds, you know?

That said, googling the phone number before calling it often (albeit not always) identifies it as Yes A Bank Number or No Not a Bank Number via the bank website, and then I feel okay calling it if it is a bank number. But I still feel like this could be made a lot better? More streamlined? Less leeway for scammers?