Jump to content

QAnon is coopting a USPS phishing scam


steven36

Recommended Posts

A viral phishing scheme is targeting people across the country with scammy text messages claiming to be from the United States Postal Service (USPS). Now, QAnon conspiracy theorists have jumped into the fray, falsely claiming the scheme is tied to human trafficking, as reported by Insider.

 

eQVziq3.png

 

There’s no evidence to suggest this is true. The rumor has spread on Facebook and Instagram, echoing the Wayfair conspiracy theory that went viral earlier this summer. Unlike the Wayfair conspiracy, however, the USPS myth is obfuscating a real phishing threat.

 

The scam involves text messages that claim to have information about a USPS delivery. To find out more, people have to click a link. On Twitter, security researcher Eric Ellason said the link goes to the domain m9sxv.info, which then redirects to jtuzd.rdtk.io. He speculated the goal was to steal peoples’ credentials, as reported by Gizmodo.

 

BREAKING!! New SMS phishing campaign pretending to be from the United States Post Office being pushed out to cell phones today. So far the link in the SMS being used is this domain m9sxv[.]info. Here are a couple of sample texts we have collected. #infosec #malware #smish #osint pic.twitter.com/90xSWYCUbZ

— Eric JN Ellason (@SlickRockWeb) September 15, 2020
 

On September 1st, an Instagram user with over 5,000 followers posted a screenshot of the text message, and said that clicking the link would have given traffickers access to her location. “There is a new sex trafficking method where you will receive a text message saying that there was an issue with a package that you have purchased,” she wrote. “Whether the ‘problem’ is your packaged has been lost, damaged, etc. the message will send you to a link to ‘track your package’, and apparently once you open the link your location will begin to be immediately tracked.”

 

By then, the rumor had already gone viral enough that Polaris, the non-profit behind the National Human Trafficking Hotline, had to put out a statement. It said the organization had received numerous reports about the USPS scheme and its supposed link to human trafficking. It urged people not to spread false information.

 

“Handling a surge of concern over viral social media posts makes it far more difficult for the Trafficking Hotline to handle other reports in a timely manner and might result in wait times for people who have a limited window of opportunity to reach out safely,” Polaris wrote.

 

At a moment when USPS is facing a very real crisis in the form of budget cuts from the Trump administration, a viral rumor about the agency being involved in human trafficking is the last thing the country needs. It saps support from a beleaguered agency and makes it difficult for those tasked with stopping human trafficking to do their jobs.

 

If there’s a bright spot on this bleak horizon, it’s that the rumor could stop people from clicking the link in the scammy text message. Inadvertently thwarting a phishing scam by spreading misinformation about human trafficking is very 2020, to say the least.

 

Source

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 2
  • Views 673
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Q-ANON.... soon to be synonymous with the REPUBLICAN  party.... sorry about the political rant, but damn it is getting scary in that country

Link to comment
Share on other sites


2 hours ago, dMog said:

it is getting scary in that country

The USA  is not a very scary place at all unless you  live  in one of the urban areas with a lot of crime you watch too much TV  . half the time i dont even lock my doors for  the last  11 years  and nothing  has ever happen:lmao:

 

Quote

The UK's total crime rate is about double ours, you have to remember, ours is pooled in a few urban areas w/Gang problems (DC, Detroit, Baltimore, Chicago), their problems are far more widespread -- ours Is lower in most of the nation (geographically) and pooled in a few cities .

 

5 facts about crime in the U.S.

 

1. Violent crime in the U.S. has fallen sharply over the past quarter century.

2. Property crime has declined significantly over the long term.

3. Public perceptions about crime in the U.S. often don’t align with the data

4. There are large geographic variations in crime rates.

5. Most crimes are not reported to police, and most reported crimes are not solved.

Source https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/10/17/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/

 

The mainstream media  sensationalize  crime  they dont post  news about 90%  of the county  only they post news  about were bad stuff happen so your perception  is warped .  Your Country trust it's police more than anywhere in the world  in the USA we don't bother to report most crimes  because they never get solved no how if you do.   Even if things have  got any worse in one year that  them facts  was released by pew , it  was far worse 25 years ago.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...