Do Not Click. Go Directly to the Source.
The text arrives on your phone and looks completely routine: your USPS package could not be delivered, a small redelivery fee is required, click the link to reschedule. The message may show the real USPS logo. The sender number may look official. The link leads to a website that looks exactly like USPS.com — except it is not. It is a page built to capture your card number, billing address, and any other information you enter before showing you a fake confirmation screen.
Why This Scam Works So Well
Online shopping has made package delivery one of the most expected experiences in daily life. At any given moment, most households are waiting for at least one shipment. Scammers know this. The text does not need to reference a specific order — the odds that you have something on the way are high enough that the message feels plausible before you have time to think critically about it.
The redelivery fee is typically small by design — 99 cents to a few dollars — because a low number lowers your guard. But entering your card details on that page hands criminals your full card number, expiration date, and security code. One person who contacted the AARP Fraud Watch Network after paying a 99-cent redelivery fee later discovered $400 in unauthorized charges. The small amount was the door, not the bill.
Americans reported $470 million in losses to text message scams in 2024 — more than five times the 2020 figure. Fake package delivery messages are the most commonly reported type, according to the FTC.
What to Do Instead of Clicking
Never click a link in an unexpected delivery text. If you are expecting a package, go directly to the retailer's website or app where you placed the order and check the tracking status there. Or go to the official carrier website — USPS.com, UPS.com, FedEx.com — and type your tracking number in manually.
Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (which spells SPAM on most keypads). This reports the message to your mobile carrier, who uses it to block similar scams. Then delete the text. If you already clicked and entered information, call your bank or card issuer immediately to report potential fraud and request a new card.
Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If USPS was impersonated, report separately at postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
With care,
Mike Bridges
Founder, The O55 Report