With half the world working from home, we rely on our mobiles and desktop now more than ever. This has encouraged many scammers or fraudulent people to phish innocent people using fake text messages promising gifts from anonymous senders and missed delivery packages. So, does UPS send text messages?
UPS does send delivery updates via text if you sign up for SMS tracking. However, UPS does not send messages from random mobile numbers. You can check the list of their verified numbers from ups.com.
What number does UPS use?
In America and Canada, UPS only uses 69877 to send delivery updates. UPS only messages you if you sign up for SMS updates.
UPS never uses a random mobile number to message you. Also, messages from UPS never solicits personal information like your bank account number, address, or payment information. If you have received a message regarding cancellation or delayed delivery from a random mobile number, it is most likely a scam.
How to recognize a scam?
If you’re receiving a surprise product from a mystery person, it is most likely a scam. If you have received a confirmation email regarding a package, it is not legitimate.
Messages from MYUPS or 69877 never seek personal information or your credit card number. The links in an official message from UPS only leads to www.ups.com
Does UPS send messages with links?
All the links in a message from MYUPS lead to the official UPS website.
Never click on random links from any of your messages. They usually lead to malware websites. These will steal your location and personal information from your mobile.
Examples of fake urls in scams pretending to be UPS are:
hxxps://link177-ups[. ]info/?=789552346 hxxps://link4-http-ups[. ]info/?=556710984 hxxps://update4-http-ups[. ]com/?=756341099
All of these URLs have “ups” but neither of these links leads to the official ups website.
Preview the links from the SMS before clicking on them. If you’re using a mobile, press and hold the link to previous. On a desktop, you can simply hover your mouse on the link to preview it.
They are most likely fake websites. They might have a fake tracking number to trick you if the scammer is smart enough.
Even the fake message might start with a random tracking number. You can verify the legitimacy of the message by checking the tracking number from the official UPS website.
Never pay for anything using these links. Most likely, you don’t even need to pay. These websites save your credit card or bank account information and scammers can easily misuse it.
Why did UPS message you?
UPS only sends messages regarding your package. You can also detect a scam by analyzing the purpose of the message.
UPS sends automated messages regarding
An upcoming delivery (most likely, the day before the date of delivery or on the day of delivery)Package departure from and arrival at a UPS facility. Delivery ConfirmationA change in delivering date
Always confirm the tracking number by logging in to www.ups.com
A message from UPS will never ask for your personal information. When in doubt, always call UPS before entering your information.
If you’ve been scammed, you can report the fraud to fraud@ups.com with the screenshots.
Can scammers use a fake tracking number?
Many scams use random number sequences as fake tracking numbers. You should always verify the tracking number by cross-checking it from www.ups.com
You will need to log in to access your real tracking number from the UPS website.
Never enter your tracking number on a random website.
These websites usually trick you by sending malware to your device. They can also steal your credit card or bank account number. Malware leads to a slow running speed on your mobile. It can also interfere with your downloads. You may even start receiving random pop-ups as a result of it. In the worst-case scenario, scammers can lock your device and demand ransom.
Conclusion
UPS only sends messages from a verified number based on where you live. In America and Canada, they only use 69877 to send text messages. They will only message you if you opt-in to receive SMS updates regarding your package. If you are receiving delivery updates or similar messages from a random number, it is most likely a phishing scam. These scams can even use a fake tracking number. Always verify the tracking number from the official UPS website.
Don’t click on links in such messages. They usually lead to malware websites that steal your personal information. You can report these scams to fraud@ups.com Never make a payment on these fake websites. Even it seems an emergency, always confirm by calling ups. These fake websites use made-up prompts to steal your personal information- name, address, bank account number, credit card number, or more.
