Defense Brief · Issue #001
The Fake USPS Delivery Text: One Click Could Cost You
A text says your package can't be delivered until you update your address or pay a small fee. Before you tap that link, learn the three warning signs of a fake USPS delivery text and how to check your package safely.
· Red Flag Weekly
Your phone buzzes with a text:
“USPS Notice: Your package could not be delivered due to an incomplete address. Update your details within 12 hours or your parcel will be returned to sender: usps-delivery-update[.]com”
Maybe you really are waiting for a package. The website looks just like the Postal Service's. It asks you to confirm your address, then asks for a small "redelivery fee."
According to the FTC, that click takes you to a look-alike of a real website. If you pay, your money — along with your card number, name, address and anything else you entered — goes straight to the scammer. FTC, April 2025
Know the Signs
Three warning signs of a fake USPS delivery text
- 1
A text you never signed up for
The Postal Inspection Service says USPS will not send customers text messages or emails without a customer first requesting the service with a tracking number — and those messages will not contain a link. U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- 2
A link to a look-alike website
The link leads to a site that copies the real USPS website. Fake addresses often add extra words around "usps" or use unusual endings. The real Postal Service website is usps.com. FTC, April 2025
- 3
A small fee and a deadline
The message pushes you to act fast and pay a small "redelivery fee." The FTC reports that many people who paid that fee were tricked into giving up their credit card or even their Social Security number. USPS does not charge for its tracking tools. FTC, April 2025 · USPIS
What to do if you get the text
Your 10-second defense
Don't tap the link.
Don't reply, either. Close the message.
Check your package yourself.
Type usps.com into your browser, or open the store or account you ordered from, and look up tracking there. FTC
Report it.
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can flag the number. Then report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service: without tapping the link, copy the text into a new email to spam@uspis.gov, add your name, and attach a screenshot showing the sender's number and the date. Say whether you clicked, lost money or shared personal information. U.S. Postal Inspection Service You can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. FTC
If you already entered your information
- If you entered a card number: Call your bank or card company right away using the number on the back of your card. Ask them to block the card and review recent charges.
- If you shared personal details like your Social Security number or date of birth: Contact any one of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian or TransUnion — to place a free initial fraud alert. That bureau must tell the other two. A credit freeze is different: it's also free, but you must request it separately with each of the three bureaus. FTC
- Watch your credit reports: Get your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com to look for accounts you don't recognize.
- If someone used your information: Report it and get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.