[Scams & Safety] 🚨 Don't Click That Text Message — Common Delivery Scams Explained
🚨 Don't Click That Text Message — Common Delivery Scams Explained
You're waiting for a package. Then a text arrives saying there's a problem with your delivery and you need to click a link immediately. It feels urgent. It feels real. But before you tap that link — read this. That text is almost certainly a scam.
This Is the #1 Text Scam in America Right Now
According to the FTC, fake package delivery messages were the single most reported text scam in 2024 — and Americans lost $470 million to text scams that year alone, more than five times the losses from just four years earlier.
These scams work because almost everyone is waiting for a package at any given time. Scammers know this. They send millions of fake delivery texts every single day betting that at least some of those people are actually expecting something — making the fake text feel completely believable.
Here's exactly what each scam looks like and how to spot every single one of them.
🔵 Scam #1 — Fake USPS Text Messages
This is the most common delivery scam of all. You get a text that looks like it's from the United States Postal Service saying there's a problem with your package.
What it looks like:
"USPS: Your package has been delayed due to an incomplete address. Update your delivery information here: [link]"
"USPS Alert: We were unable to deliver your package. A small redelivery fee of $1.99 is required to reschedule: [link]"
"USPS: Your package is being held at our facility. Confirm your address within 24 hours or it will be returned: [link]"
Why it fools people: It shows up on your phone just like any other text. It creates urgency. And if you happen to be waiting for something in the mail — it feels completely real.
The truth: USPS would never contact you via text message unless YOU first signed up for tracking alerts through their official website. If you didn't sign up for USPS text alerts — any text claiming to be from USPS is fake. Period.
The link takes you to a fake website that looks exactly like the real USPS site. It asks for your address to "confirm delivery" and then asks for a small fee — usually $1.99 to $3.99 — to "redeliver your package." That small fee is how they steal your credit card number. Once they have it they charge much larger amounts.
What to do: Never click the link. If you're genuinely worried about a package, go directly to usps.com by typing it yourself and enter your real tracking number there.
🟠 Scam #2 — Fake FedEx Text Messages
FedEx scams are nearly identical to USPS scams but with one extra twist that makes them especially convincing.
What it looks like:
"FedEx: Your package is waiting. Set your delivery preferences here: [link]"
"FedEx Alert: We attempted delivery but were unable to complete it. Schedule redelivery: [link]"
The extra scary twist: These fake FedEx texts sometimes include your real name — making them feel incredibly personal and legitimate. The text says something like "Hi Sarah, your FedEx package is waiting" and includes a fake tracking number.
People think — how did they know my name if it wasn't real? The answer is that scammers buy stolen personal information from data breaches online. Your name and phone number may have been exposed in a data breach years ago without you even knowing.
Where the link really goes: The link takes you to what appears to be an Amazon page inviting you to complete a customer satisfaction survey. Then it tells you that you've won a free prize — you just need to enter your credit card number to cover shipping. There is no prize. There is no package. It's all fake.
The truth: FedEx has officially stated they never ask for payment or personal information through unsolicited text messages. Ever.
What to do: Go directly to fedex.com and use the tracking tool with your real tracking number from your actual order confirmation email.
🟡 Scam #3 — Fake Amazon Delivery Texts
Amazon scams are slightly different — instead of pretending to be a delivery company they pretend to be Amazon itself contacting you about your order.
What it looks like:
"Amazon: There is a problem with your recent delivery. Confirm your address to reschedule: [link]"
"Your Amazon package could not be delivered. Update your information within 24 hours: [link]"
"Amazon Security Alert: Unusual activity detected on your account. Verify immediately: [link]"
Why this is so effective: Almost everyone has an Amazon account and orders regularly. The odds that you recently ordered something from Amazon are very high — which makes this scam feel extremely believable.
The truth: Real Amazon delivery updates come through the Amazon app or through email to the address linked to your Amazon account — not random text messages. Amazon will never ask you to click a text link to confirm your delivery address.
What to do: Open the Amazon app directly or go to amazon.com and check your orders. Any real delivery issue will show up right there in your account.
🔴 Scam #4 — The Customs Fee Scam — Brand New and Very Convincing
This is the newest and most dangerous delivery scam right now — and it's catching thousands of people off guard because it sounds so official and believable.
What it looks like:
"Your package is stuck in customs. A tariff fee of $8.75 must be paid before delivery can proceed: [link]"
"U.S. Customs: Your international shipment requires a mandatory import fee of $12.50. Pay here to release your package: [link]"
"Your order from [store] cannot be delivered due to unpaid customs duties. Click here to pay the required tariff: [link]"
Why this scam is exploding right now: New tariff rules went into effect in 2025 on imported goods, and scammers immediately took advantage of the public confusion about how tariffs work — adjusting their delivery text scams to claim that people owe a tariff that must be paid before their order can be delivered.
People are genuinely confused about tariffs right now. They've heard about them on the news. They know prices are going up. So when a text says they owe a customs fee — it feels completely plausible.
In just the first three months of 2025 alone, cybercriminals registered over 300 tariff-related fake domains specifically designed to trick consumers.
The truth: Tariffs are paid by importing companies — not by individual consumers directly. The average American will not receive a text message asking them to pay a tariff or customs fee on a package. If you see a request like this it is a scam.
Real customs fees for international packages are collected at the time of purchase or handled by the shipping company — not through a random text message with a payment link.
What to do: Never pay any customs or tariff fee through a link in a text message. If you ordered something internationally and are genuinely concerned, contact the store you bought from directly through their official website.
🚨 The Brand New Doorstep Twist
Here's an alarming new version of this scam that people are reporting right now:
Someone actually comes to your door claiming to be a FedEx or delivery service employee — saying you owe a tariff fee on a package you already received. They know about your recent delivery because scammers have been able to gather delivery information through various means.
If this happens to you:
- Do NOT pay anything at the door
- Close the door immediately
- Call the delivery company directly using the number from their official website to verify
How to Check if a Delivery Text is Real — Every Time
Follow these 3 steps before doing ANYTHING with a delivery text:
Step 1 — Do you have a real tracking number? Go back to the original order confirmation email from the store where you actually placed an order. Find the real tracking number there. Then go directly to the carrier's official website and enter THAT tracking number. If there's a real problem it will show up there.
Step 2 — Check the link before tapping it Press and hold the link in the text message without tapping it. A small window will show the full web address. Does it say usps.com, fedex.com, or ups.com exactly? Or does it say something like usps-delivery.net, fedex-alert.com, or tracking-usps.xyz? If it's anything other than the exact official website — it's fake.
Step 3 — When in doubt — don't click Go directly to the company's real website by typing it yourself. Check your order status there. If everything is fine — the text was fake. If there's a real problem — it will show up on the official site.
💡 Golden Tips From Real People
These are tips gathered from real people who have been through this and cybersecurity experts:
"I now never click any delivery links — ever." Real people who've been scammed before say the same thing. They now go directly to the carrier's website or app every single time — no matter how real a text looks. It takes 30 extra seconds and completely eliminates the risk.
"If I'm not expecting anything — I delete it immediately." If you haven't ordered anything recently and get a delivery text — delete it without a second thought. Scammers send these to millions of random phone numbers.
"The small fee is the trap." Real people warn over and over — the $1.99 or $3.99 "redelivery fee" is how they steal your credit card. Once they have your card number they charge much larger amounts. The small amount is designed to seem too insignificant to question.
"I sign up for real tracking alerts directly." Instead of waiting to receive random texts, sign up for official tracking alerts directly through the carrier's website using your real tracking number. That way you know which texts are real because YOU initiated them.
"I called the number on the real website — not the one in the text." If you're ever genuinely unsure, call the carrier's customer service number from their official website — never use any phone number provided in a suspicious text.
What the Real Companies Actually Say
Here is what the official companies have publicly stated:
- USPS — Will never send tracking texts unless you specifically signed up for them. Forward suspicious texts to spam@uspis.gov
- FedEx — Never seeks payment or personal information through unsolicited texts or emails
- UPS — Never requests payment through unsolicited messages. Report scams at their fraud alert page on ups.com
- Amazon — Will never ask you to click a text link to confirm delivery or account information
What to Do If You Already Clicked
Don't panic — act quickly:
- Do NOT enter any information on the page that opened — close it immediately
- If you entered payment information — call your bank right away and tell them you may have been scammed. Ask them to watch for suspicious charges and consider canceling that card
- If you entered your Social Security number — place a fraud alert immediately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — all three. This is free and takes about 15 minutes
- Change your passwords especially for Amazon, email, and banking accounts
- Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Forward scam texts to 7726 — this is the spam reporting number for most US phone carriers and helps them block the scammer's number
The One Rule That Protects You Every Time
Never click a link in an unexpected delivery text. Always go directly to the company's official website by typing it yourself. Every single time. No exceptions.
It takes 30 extra seconds. It could save you thousands of dollars and months of dealing with identity theft.
Have you received a suspicious delivery text recently? Share it in the comments below — describe what it said and I'll help you figure out if it was real or a scam!
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