Cut Out Crime this Holiday Season

The winter holidays are a time for everything nice. But criminals and their scams can cost you a hefty price. These Scrooges target consumers with phishing and smishing scams, and brushing and quishing schemes. And they can’t wait to take advantage of the giving spirit by stealing mail and packages.

To help keep everyone safe from this holiday season, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service® wants to help you cut out holiday crime. Stay informed and follow these tips to keep purchases and personal information safe.

Help cut out crime by downloading and sharing this holiday flyer.

  • Phishing and Smishing Scams

    Phishing and smishing schemes are cyberattacks that steal personally identifiable information (PII), like credit card or Social Security numbers. In these attacks, cyber criminals impersonate a U.S. Postal Service official or the organization and ask for personal data in an email (phishing) or a text message (smishing). The official looking emails and texts contain a fake URL or a file designed to steal your personal information and may even infect your device with malware that, if clicked on and opened, can activate a virus that allows the criminals to steal PII.


    A phishing or smishing message might include a notification about a package delivery or unpaid online postage charges or mention “Delivery Failure Notification.”


    Customers can follow these tips to cut out phishing and smishing crimes this holiday season:

    1. Be suspicious of requesters of personal information

      Be suspicious of text messages or emails that request personal or business information.

    2. Be suspicious of unknown numbers and emails

      Be suspicious of text messages or emails from unknown or suspicious numbers.

    3. Don’t click links

      Don’t click on links in unexpected or unsolicited text messages or emails.

    4. Don’t reply

      Don’t reply or respond to suspicious text messages or emails.

    5. Block notifications

      Block notifications from unsaved phone numbers to decrease the likelihood of falling for a smishing scam.

    6. Forward suspicious emails

      Forward any suspicious emails received to the Postal Inspection Service’s spam-reporting account: spam@uspis.gov; forward smishing text messages to 7726 or email spam@uspis.gov.

  • Brushing and Quishing

    If you open your front door to find a package addressed to you, but you didn’t order it and it is from someone or a company you don’t know — beware! This seemingly free item is a “brushing” scam. Brushing scammers send you goods you never ordered and write fake online reviews about their products in your name, which helps boost their sales.


    By law, unsolicited merchandise is yours to keep. You don’t have to return it — or pay for it! But some of these “gifts” come with a QR code. When scanned, these QR codes direct to “quishing” websites that ask you to give up your personal information.


    Help cut out brushing and quishing crimes this holiday season:

    1. Watch out

      Don’t scan unknown QR codes.

    2. Never give out your personal information

      Never give out your personal information to unknown sources. If you do, your identity may be compromised.

  • Mail Theft

    The U.S. Postal Inspection Service makes thousands of arrests for mail theft each year. While mail and packages can be stolen at any time, the higher volume of mail and packages during the holidays gives greedy thieves more opportunities to steal holiday cheer. Rest assured that U.S. postal inspectors keep an eye out for mail thieves across the country throughout the holiday season — and all year long.


    Help cut out mail theft crimes this holiday season by following these tips:

    1. Don’t leave letters and packages unattended

      Do NOT leave letters and packages in your mailbox or at your door for any length of time. The longer mail stays in your mailbox, the more susceptible it is to theft.

    2. Never send cash

      Never send cash in the mail.

    3. Use Hold for Delivery

      If you are going to be away from your home, use Hold for Delivery, a delivery locker, or ask a trusted neighbor to pick up your mail and packages.

    4. Require a signature

      Request signature confirmation on packages, and add package tracking.

    5. Hand outgoing mail to your letter carrier

      Hand outgoing mail to your letter carrier, mail it at the post office, or mail it from a secure receptacle at your place of business.

    6. Report to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service

      If you have a camera system, make sure it’s aimed and focused on capturing activity at your front door or mailbox. If your camera catches mail thieves in the act of stealing U.S. Mail, save the video and contact postal inspectors at 877-876-2455 or uspis.gov/report.

Cut Out Crime | Brushing & Quishing

Cut Out Crime | Brushing & Quishing

That unexpected "gift" isn't from Santa. And if it contains a QR code, don't scan it! It's a scam to steal your identity.