Question: I’ve been getting a noticeable amount of text messages purportedly from the U.S. Postal Service stating, “The USPS package has arrived at the warehouse and cannot be delivered due to incomplete address information.” It instructs me to go a website and open an activation link, etc. I am not expecting any packages, nor have I sent one recently. I highly suspect this is a scam. I thought that I’d bring this concern to readers’ attention since many of us will be sending and expecting mailed packages in the upcoming holiday period. Beware!
Answer: Yes, you are correct, this is a scam that, in various versions, impersonates not only the Postal Service, but also UPS Inc., FedEx Corp. and other major shipping companies. Agencies and companies warn customers about it on their websites, but the fact that this scam persists indicates that it is still working as criminals intend — your reminder is a timely one as the holiday shopping and shipping season heats up.
Clicking on an unsolicited, deceptive link will send the recipient to a scam site designed to steal their personal and financial information. “The criminals want to receive personally identifiable information (PII) about the victim such as: account usernames and passwords, Social Security number, date of birth, credit and debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs), or other sensitive information. This information is used to carry out other crimes, such as financial fraud,” according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “USPS will not send customers text messages or emails without a customer first requesting the service with a tracking number, and it will NOT contain a link. So, if you did not initiate the tracking request for a specific package directly from USPS and it contains a link: Don’t click the link!”
UPS and FedEx also offer genuine ways to track packages, which you can read about on their websites.
One free service from the U.S. Postal Service that numerous Kokua Line readers have recommended is Informed Delivery, which gives users an electronic preview of their incoming mail, as well as status updates about their incoming and outbound packages. For more information, go to usps.com.
’Tis also the season for counterfeit stamps and fake shipping labels. Beware discounts that seem too good to be true.
Q: I understand that they’ve turned off the lights at Sandy Beach Park so turtle hatchlings don’t get confused as to which direction to go upon hatching. The lights have been off now for quite a while, and it’s a safety hazard for those utilizing the park after sunset. Don’t they have an idea of when the turtles will hatch and when the lights should be turned on again?
A: Yes. The turtle nests at Sandy Beach Park have all hatched, and Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation hopes to have the lights turned back on this week, spokesperson Nate Serota said Tuesday. He was awaiting confirmation of the exact timing from city electricians.
The city always planned to wait until the middle of November to re-illuminate the lights, because of concern not only for the sea turtles, but also for seabirds at the East Oahu beach park.
About a dozen free- standing and comfort station lights at the Halona Blow Hole side of the beach park were turned off Sept. 29 to ease the safe passage of Hawaiian green sea turtle (honu) hatchlings and Native Hawaiian seabird fledglings, DPR said in a news release Sept. 30.
“Turning off these lights reduces the risk of artificial light disorienting the honu hatchlings and seabird fledglings,” it said, estimating that the lights would be turned back on in mid-November.
Correction
Tuesday’s column had the wrong unit number in the address for the Disability and Communication Access Board. The address is 1010 Richards St. No. 118, Honolulu, HI 96813.
Thanksgiving gratitude
Last call for mahalos to run in Kokua Line on Thanksgiving. These brief expressions of gratitude must be received no later than today.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
