Text messages · Scam library
USPS package delivery text scam: how to spot it and what to do
Arrives by: Text message, Email
Is it a scam?
A text saying USPS can't deliver your package and asking you to click a link or pay a small redelivery fee is a scam. The Postal Inspection Service says real USPS tracking texts come only if you signed up with a tracking number, and they do not contain a link. Fake delivery texts were the most reported text scam of 2024.
How the scam works.
You get a text that says a package could not be delivered, often because of a "missing" or "incomplete" address.
The link goes to a lookalike site with USPS logos and colors.
The site asks you to confirm your address and pay a tiny fee, so it feels low-risk.
The real goal is your card number, and sometimes your Social Security number or date of birth.
Red flags to look for.
Illustrative example · Text message
+1 (813) 555-0192
Written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
You never signed up for USPS text tracking for this package.
The text has a link. USPIS says real USPS tracking texts will not contain one.
The web address is strange or misspelled, and it is not usps.com.
A deadline, such as "within 12 hours" or "will be returned."
It asks for a fee, a card number, a PIN, your date of birth or your Social Security number.
The real thing vs. the scam.
What the real organization does
What the scammer does
USPS sends tracking texts only when you asked for them and gave a tracking number.
A text out of the blue about a package you may or may not be expecting.
Real USPS tracking texts do not contain a link.
A link to "update your address" or "schedule redelivery."
Fake package delivery texts were the most reported text scam of 2024.
Source: FTC Data Spotlight: Top text scams of 2024 (Apr 2025).
If you got this message.
- Do not tap the link or reply.
- If you are expecting a package, track it by typing usps.com yourself, or check with the store that shipped it.
- Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM).
- Email the message text and a screenshot to [email protected].
- Delete the text.
If you already clicked, paid or shared information.
If you opened the link and started typing, tell your bank or card company right away, even if you never pressed submit. USPIS gives this same advice. Call the number on the back of your card or use the official app.
Ask them to block the card and send a new one, and to dispute any charge you do not recognize.
If you gave your Social Security number or date of birth, follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov and freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
Report it to [email protected] and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Keep an eye on your statements for the next few months.
Money already sent? Start with the free C.A.L.M. recovery wizard or get step-by-step help. And watch out for anyone who offers to get it back for a fee.
Not sure about a message?
Check it in a minute.
Answer a few yes-or-no questions and see how risky it looks.
Try the scam checker
How OwlGuardian helps
Make the next scam bounce off.
OwlGuardian does not block texts. If a delivery text looks off, say "Hey Siri, call my Owl" to screenshot it and get a verdict in about five seconds. If the same scam arrives by Gmail, OwlGuardian can quarantine it and alert your Trusted Contact.
OwlGuardian quietly checks your parent's Gmail with AI, moves scam emails out of sight, and asks you before anything risky gets through. $4.99/month after a 30-day free trial.
Questions people ask.
Does USPS send text messages about packages?
What happens if I clicked the USPS text link?
Why does the fake USPS text ask for such a small fee?
How do I report a fake USPS text?
Sources
- USPIS: Smishing and package tracking text scams
- FTC Data Spotlight: Top text scams of 2024 (Apr 2025)
The example above is illustrative, written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
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