USPS Text Scam: How to Spot It and What to Do If You Clicked

A USPS text scam is a text message pretending to be from the US Postal Service that says a package can’t be delivered, is on hold or needs an address update, and asks you to tap a link and pay a small fee. The link leads to a fake website built to steal your card details and personal information. USPS says it doesn’t send unsolicited texts or emails about deliveries, and that its tracking texts, which you only get if you signed up with a tracking number yourself, don’t contain links. Don’t tap the link: forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), report it to the US Postal Inspection Service, and delete it.

If you’ve already tapped the link or entered your details, don’t panic. These texts are sent in huge volumes and are designed to look convincing, so plenty of careful people get caught. The steps below explain what to do now.

How the USPS text scam works

This type of scam is known as smishing: phishing by text message. The pattern is simple.

1. The text arrives, often from an unfamiliar phone number or an email address, sometimes by iMessage or another messaging app. It uses USPS branding language: “USPS: your package is on hold due to an incomplete address”, “delivery attempt failed” or “redelivery fee required”.
2. It creates urgency, saying the package will be returned or destroyed unless you act within a short time.
3. It includes a link to a web address that looks roughly postal but isn’t the official usps.com site. Some texts ask you to reply “Y” and then reopen the message so the link becomes clickable, a trick to get around phone safety features.
4. The fake site copies the USPS look and asks for your name, address, phone number, email and a card payment for a small “redelivery” or “address correction” fee.
5. Your details are stolen. The small fee isn’t the real goal. The scammers use or sell your card details and personal information, and may try larger charges later or use the data for further scams.

Because so many people are expecting a package at any given time, the message often lands at a plausible moment. That’s luck on the scammer’s part, not a sign they know anything about you.

Warning signs of a fake USPS text

• You didn’t sign up for USPS text tracking with that package’s tracking number.
• The message contains a link. USPS says its tracking texts don’t.
• It asks you to pay a fee to redeliver a package or fix an address. USPS doesn’t collect redelivery fees by text.
• It comes from a random phone number, an overseas number or an email address.
• The web address isn’t usps.com, even if it contains the word “usps” somewhere in it.
• It asks you to reply to activate the link.
• It pressures you with a deadline, such as “within 12 hours” or “today”.
• There’s no tracking number, or the number doesn’t show up when you enter it on the real USPS website.

What to do if you got the text but didn’t click

1. Don’t tap the link or reply, not even with “STOP”. Replying confirms your number is active.
2. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). This free service lets your mobile carrier investigate and block the sender.
3. Report it to the US Postal Inspection Service. USPS asks people to report postal-related smishing to spam@uspis.gov. Copy the text, including the sender’s number or address, into an email without clicking anything in it.
4. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
5. Use your phone’s “report junk” option if it has one, then delete the message.

What to do right away if you clicked or entered details

Tapping a link alone usually isn’t the main risk; what matters most is what you typed into the fake site. Act on whatever applies to you.

1. Close the page and don’t return to it.
2. If you entered card details, call your bank or card issuer right away using the number on the back of your card or on its official website. Tell them the card details were stolen in a phishing scam, ask them to block or replace the card, and review recent transactions with them.
3. Watch your statements for charges you don’t recognize, including small test charges, and report any to your card issuer.
4. If you entered a password (for example, if the fake site asked you to log in), change that password immediately and anywhere else you’ve used it, and turn on two-factor authentication. Our guide on what to do if your account was hacked covers the wider steps.
5. If you gave your Social Security number, date of birth or ID, follow our steps on what to do if your identity is stolen, including placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus.
6. Be alert for follow-up contact. Scammers may call or text pretending to be your bank’s fraud team to “help” with the problem. Hang up and call your bank directly. Our guide to Zelle scams explains how fake bank calls work.
7. Report it using the steps in the section above, and mention that you entered details.

If you downloaded something from the link, or your phone is behaving strangely afterwards, see our guide on what to do if your phone has been hacked.

Will you get your money back?

The fee itself is usually small, but the card details are what matter. Card payments can often be disputed, and your card issuer can block the card before larger charges go through. Ask your bank or card issuer what they can do; policies differ, and quick reporting helps. If you paid through a payment app or a method that works like cash, ask that provider directly.

Ignore anyone who contacts you offering to recover money lost to a scam for a fee. That’s a separate scam; see our guide to recovery scams.

Where to report a USPS text scam

Where	How
Your mobile carrier	Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM).
US Postal Inspection Service	Email the text and sender details to spam@uspis.gov.
FTC	Report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
FBI IC3	Report at ic3.gov, particularly if you lost money or your details were used.
Your bank or card issuer	Call if you entered card details or see unfamiliar charges.

Example: the address correction text

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case. Luis is waiting for a delivery when he gets a text: “USPS: Your parcel could not be delivered due to an incomplete address. Update within 24 hours to avoid return.” There’s a link. He taps it, sees a page that looks like the USPS site, and enters his address and card number to pay a small redelivery fee.

Later, he checks his order confirmation and notices the retailer shipped with a different carrier. He realizes the text was fake.

1. He calls the number on the back of his card, explains what happened, and the issuer cancels the card and sends a replacement.
2. He reviews recent transactions with the bank and flags a charge he doesn’t recognize.
3. He forwards the original text to 7726 and emails the details to spam@uspis.gov.
4. He files a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
5. The next day he gets a call claiming to be his bank’s fraud team, asking for the code just texted to him. He hangs up and calls the bank directly instead.

How to protect yourself from delivery text scams

• Track packages only through official sites or apps, reached by typing the address yourself or using the retailer’s own order page.
• Know which carrier is delivering. Your order confirmation usually says. A text from a different carrier is a red flag.
• Be skeptical of any text asking for payment, however small.
• Turn on your phone’s spam filtering and filter messages from unknown senders if your phone supports it.
• Use a credit card for online purchases where you can, since it can be easier to dispute charges.
• Limit how widely your phone number is published. Our guide on removing your phone number from spam lists explains what helps and what doesn’t.

Similar texts impersonate toll agencies too. See our guide to the toll text scam.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Replying “STOP” or anything else. It tells scammers your number works.
• Checking the link “just to see”. The page is built to look real, and some pages try to get you to download something.
• Assuming a small fee means a small risk. The real target is your card and personal details.
• Trusting the sender name. Scammers can make texts look like they come from USPS.
• Feeling too embarrassed to call your bank. Card issuers deal with phishing every day, and calling quickly limits the damage.

If a scam has left fake profiles, complaints or other harmful content attached to your name in search results, our personal reputation management service can help assess what appears and what can realistically be done. If you are also facing threats or harassment, our help resources page lists support organizations.

Frequently asked questions

Does USPS send text messages about packages?

Only if you signed up for USPS text tracking with a specific tracking number. USPS says it doesn’t send unsolicited texts or emails, and that its tracking texts don’t contain links. An unexpected text with a link asking you to pay or update your address is almost certainly a scam.

I clicked the link in a USPS text. Am I hacked?

Tapping the link alone usually doesn’t compromise your phone, but it can confirm your number is active. The bigger risk is anything you entered on the site. If you entered card details, call your card issuer right away; if you entered a password, change it; if you downloaded anything, check your phone for signs of compromise.

How do I report a USPS text scam?

Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), email the details to the US Postal Inspection Service at spam@uspis.gov, and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then delete the message.

Why do I keep getting fake USPS texts?

These messages are sent in bulk to huge lists of phone numbers, many generated automatically or gathered from data breaches and data brokers. Getting one doesn’t mean anyone knows you’re expecting a package. Reporting them and using your phone’s spam filtering helps reduce them.

Can I get my money back if I paid the fee?

Call your card issuer or bank as soon as possible. Card payments can often be disputed, and the issuer can block the card before larger charges. Ask them directly what applies to your situation.