Package Delivery Text Scams
Missed delivery — your package is waiting, pay a small redelivery fee now. You were not expecting a package, but the text looks like the carrier, and the fee is tiny. It is smishing: the link leads to a fake carrier site that harvests your card details, and the redelivery fee is just the bait. Carriers do not collect surprise fees by text.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: do not tap the link. Track packages only through the carrier's official app or by typing their website yourself — never from a text. Real carriers leave door tags and account notices, not payment-demanding texts. Delete the message and report it as spam.
Follow these steps
- Do not tap the link. The link leads to a pixel-perfect fake of the carrier's site. One tap plus your card details is the whole attack — the package never existed.
- Check the sender. These texts come from random mobile numbers, not the carrier's official channels. A delivery notice from an unknown personal number is fake by definition.
- Track through official channels only. Open the carrier's app or type their website yourself and enter the tracking number there. If a package truly needs attention, your account shows it — compare with the redelivery script.
- Spot the fee trick. A small redelivery or customs fee creates just enough legitimacy to pay without thinking. Real carriers do not demand card payments via surprise text links.
- Look for the language tells. Odd phrasing, missing carrier branding, and generic greetings mark the fakes. Compare with a real notification from the same carrier if you have one.
- Report and delete. Forward to 7726 (SPAM), report to the FTC, and delete. These campaigns rely on volume — every report helps carriers shut them down.
What NOT to do
- Do not pay any fee from a text link. Legitimate delivery fees are handled through your account or at the door — never a surprise SMS.
- Do not enter tracking numbers on linked sites. The fake site logs everything you type, including credentials.
- Do not assume it is real because you order a lot. Heavy shoppers are the target audience — frequency of ordering is not verification.
- Do not call the number in the text. It reaches the scammers, who will happily confirm the fake fee is real.
Frequently asked questions
I am expecting a package — how do I check?
Use only the carrier's official app or website, navigated to by you. Your real tracking status lives there, not in the text.
What if I already entered my card?
Contact your bank immediately, dispute any charges, monitor for fraud, and consider replacing the card.
Do carriers ever text about deliveries?
Yes — but only if you opted into notifications, and they never demand payments through the text. Opt-in alerts link to the official app.