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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Fraudulent vs. Legitimate Email Notifications


While the busy holiday season is a joyous time of year it also presents the perfect opportunity for spammers to take advantage of distracted, overwhelmed shoppers and mailers through the use of fraudulent email messages.  This year there has been an increase in the number of reported suspicious emails which appear to be from credible carriers, but in reality are actually scams or contain malicious computer viruses. Unfortunately, some of these latest emails are quite sophisticated and the fraudulent messages are similar in appearance to the legitimate email notifications you may have received throughout the year.

Each of the major carriers has posted information about fraudulent emails including examples on their websites.  It is important for you to educate yourself and take proper precautions to reduce the risk of your personal information being stolen or your computer system being severely damaged. 

U.S. Postal Service (USPS): https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/consumer/SpamAlert.pdf
United Parcel Service (UPS): https://www.ups.com/media/en/fraud_email_examples.pdf
FedEx: https://fedex.com/us/security/email_fraud.html

If you receive a suspicious email, do not open the link. Delete the email immediately and contact the mail or shipping carrier directly via their website or by telephone for additional information.  If you believe you have received a fraudulent email for a package prepared by Mail Services, please call ext. 2269 for additional assistance.

Carol Battles
CNS/Mail Services
12/21/2010