Fake USPS and Delivery Text Scams Explained

You get a text: "USPS: Your package could not be delivered due to an incomplete address. Please update within 24 hours: [link]." It looks routine, you are probably expecting a package, and the link is right there. This is one of the most successful phishing scams running today, precisely because it feels so ordinary.

How the scam works

The link leads to a convincing copy of the USPS (or UPS, FedEx, DHL) website. It asks you to "verify" your address and then pay a tiny redelivery fee — often just $0.30 or $1.99. The small amount is deliberate: it feels harmless, so you enter your card details without much thought. The scammers now have your full card number, expiration, and CVV, which they use for far larger fraudulent charges or sell to others.

Some versions also harvest your name, address, and phone number to build a profile for future targeted scams.

Red flags

• A delivery service texting you a link to "pay a fee." Carriers do not collect redelivery fees by text.
• A sense of urgency — "within 24 hours" or "final notice."
• A link with a slightly-off domain: usps-redelivery.com, usps.tracking-info.net, or a random string of characters.
• A message about a package you were not expecting, or from a carrier you did not use.

If you clicked or paid

If you entered card details, contact your bank immediately, report the card as compromised, and request a new one. Watch your statement for unfamiliar charges. If you entered a password you use elsewhere, change it everywhere you used it. Then report the scam URL so the phishing site can be flagged and taken down.