Is that 'missed delivery' text a scam?
Every year, millions of people receive texts claiming their parcel is stuck, needs a small redelivery fee, or requires an address confirmation. These messages — called smishing (SMS phishing) — impersonate USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Royal Mail, Australia Post, and other carriers. They're one of the most common scams running today, and they work precisely because we all shop online and expect deliveries.
The goal is usually one of two things: steal your credit card details by directing you to a fake payment page (charging a small 'redelivery fee'), or harvest your personal information for identity theft. A smaller subset delivers spyware if you tap the link on certain Android devices.
The hardest part is that real carriers do send text notifications. This is what makes fake delivery texts so effective — they blend in with legitimate messages. The specific tells below are what separate a real carrier alert from a criminal one.
🚩 Red flags to watch for
- ▶The link doesn't go to the carrier's official domain. Real USPS links go to usps.com; real FedEx links go to fedex.com. Anything like usps-package.com, fedex-tracker.net, or dhl-redelivery.com is a scam.
- ▶The text asks for a payment to 'release' your parcel. Real carriers don't charge a card-entry fee to redeliver — this is the hook to steal your card details.
- ▶You weren't expecting a delivery, or the tracking number in the text doesn't match anything you can verify in your inbox or order history.
- ▶Generic phrasing like 'Dear Customer' or 'your package' with no specific sender name, verified tracking number, or exact shipper.
- ▶Urgency language: 'within 24 hours', 'will be returned today', 'final notice'.
- ▶The message came from an unfamiliar mobile number or an international number (+44, +61, +852) rather than a known carrier shortcode.
✅ What to do
- 1Do NOT click the link. Go directly to the carrier's official website by typing it manually or using the official app, and enter your tracking number there.
- 2If you did click: close the page immediately and don't enter any details. On Android, check Settings > Apps for anything recently installed without your knowledge.
- 3If you entered card details: contact your bank immediately to freeze the card or dispute any pending charges — do this before the scammers can use them.
- 4Report it: in the US and UK, forward the text to 7726 (spells SPAM), which alerts networks to block the sender. You can also report to the carrier's fraud line.
- 5Block the number so it can't reach you again.
📣 Where to report (by country)
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Action Fraud
- Police Scotland — call 101
🇦🇺 Australia
🇨🇦 Canada
🌍 Everywhere else
- Contact your local police and your bank immediately
- If money was sent, ask your bank about a recall request — act within hours
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Common questions
How do I check if a delivery text is real without clicking the link?
Copy just the tracking number from the text and search it directly on the carrier's official website (type the URL yourself — do not click the link). If it doesn't show a real shipment, the message is fake.
I clicked the link but didn't enter anything. Am I safe?
Probably yes. Simply opening a link rarely causes harm on a modern, updated browser. If you didn't type in card details or personal information, your risk is low — but run a reputable security scan to be sure, especially on Android.
Why does the fake text sometimes know my name or rough location?
Scammers buy stolen data in bulk from past data breaches. Your name, phone number, and sometimes partial address may have appeared in a prior breach, making the fake text seem more credible.
Does USPS / FedEx ever ask for a payment by text to redeliver?
No. Real carriers may charge redelivery fees in some circumstances, but they handle this through their official website or app — never via a text message with a payment link.