Tips to avoid scams using robotexts that involve package tracking

ORLANDO, Fla. — With the holiday season upon us, scammers are always looking for new ways to steal your personal information.

Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning Floridians of scams using robotexts that involve package tracking.

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These scam robotexts are a form of smishing, which is a deceptive text message intended to lure recipients into providing personal or financial information.

These texts are often disguised as messages from the United States Postal Service, or common shipping companies.

Read: Attorney General offers tips to avoid last-minute shopping scams

Check out some key red flags when it comes to smishing:

· The phone number, which has been redacted, may appear to be from a personal 10-digit phone number.

· There is no mention of any store the item may be shipping from.

· All companies sending physical goods will require a shipping address when purchasing an item online. They will not ask for an updated shipment address.

· If the link is unrecognized, it is safe to assume that it is an attempted scam - so never click on the link.

Read: Beware of These Gift Card Scams for the Holidays

Here are a few tips to follow to avoid package-tracking scams:

· Do not click on links from unknown senders.

· Block the number of an unwanted robotext.

· Never respond to a scam robotext or risk potentially being added to a list to receive even more robotexts.

· Analyze suspicious texts to check for grammatical errors, suspicious links or 10-digit phone numbers that look like personal numbers.

Read: Florida attorney general releases 2021 Holiday Consumer Protection Guide

Know that the USPS will never send a text message with package-tracking updates unless a user signs up for the updates online.

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