Trust & Verify: Fake email from USPS claims package delayed amid COVID test deliveries

Published: Updated:

Demand is high for those free COVID-19 test kits being mailed directly to your home from the United States Postal Service.

Now some third-party websites are hoping to cash in.

WINK News viewers have sent in some tips and Trust & Verify reporter Lisa Hutson is doing the digging.

Brenda Hukriede said she received an email.
 It has a postal service tracking number and claims that there is an issue with her order.

When you click on the link, it looks like the USPS site, but look a little closer, you can see it’s is not the postal service website address.

And they want you to enter your personal information including credit card information to pay three dollars in shipping.
 Big red flag!

Remember, the government is offering each household four free home COVID-19 rapid tests by visiting covidtests.gov. No fees attached.
 And that it the ONLY website where you can order them from.

We went one step further and pasted the tracking number into the real USPS website. It does not exist.

Then we used a website checker to verify this site and it returned with an error message saying the site is not a fully qualified public domain name or public IP address.

We also reached out to the postal service and they are now investigating, They warn the only site you should order from is covidtests.gov.

We invite you to ask questions and then join us on the journey to find answers and truth.

If you have a question that you’d like WINK News to help answer – give us a call on our hotline (239) 344-5055 or email lisa.hutson@winknews.com.

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