USPS email delivery notice scam carries malware

When I miss a package in the mail, I'm used to getting one of those little cards that tell me to pick it up at the post office. 

 

But some of you are getting weird emails instead.

 

Joyce in Gilbert let me know she "received an email today that looked like it came from the postal service that we had an undeliverable priority 1-day package."

 

Vicki in Phoenix says she got three of the notices. She writes "each one had a  different package number and gave links to contact for redelivery."

 

They also included a tracking number.

 

Vicki really was expecting a package but she wasn't comfortable clicking on a random link.

 

She says a call to the post office couldn't give her a definitive answer.

 

So she forwarded the email to the US Postal Inspector. Vicki says that email got kicked back as spam.

 

So she let me know.

 

The email was sent from usps@transitsystems.com, which is not an official United States Postal Service (USPS) email address.

 

We went to the USPS website and entered the tracking number that was listed on the email. We couldn't find it.

 

The postal inspection service tells me the email is a phishing scam that "installs a malicious virus that can steal personal information" from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

 

The USPS says the only time you would get an email notification from them is if you specifically signed up to receive them at myusps.com

 

If you get the email, delete it.  And never, ever click on links from unknown senders, that's the quickest way to let scammers inside of your computer.