NJ Text Message Scam Impersonates USPS, Officials Warn

TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey officials are warning residents about a new phishing scam impersonating the U.S. Postal Service that asks recipients to provide personal information by claiming a package can't be delivered to their home.

Officials with the New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell issued an alert Tuesday about the "SMiShing" texts. According to officials, "smishing" is a form of phishing that uses text messages containing email addresses, phone numbers or links to websites.

This specific scam, according to officials, capitalized on the holiday season by urging the recipient to click on a link in order to address an issue with a package delivery.

When clicked, the link directs the recipient to a website imitating the U.S. Postal Service and asks them to provide personal information including their name, address, email address and phone number.

According to officials, the website was created on Dec. 20 and registered with NameSilo. It contains multiple processes and redirects, one of which appears to post collected information to a Chinese IP address, a technique frequently used by threat actors.

Officials said anyone who receives a phishing text should avoid clicking any links and should not provide any sensitive information to unverified websites.

SMS text scams can be reported by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM).

See the full alert online.