Checked
Written from official fraud-agency notices. Every figure and piece of advice is checked against the sources listed at the bottom.
What we found
Set out in the same plain format as reader reports.
- What kind of scam?
- Fake links and messages
- In short
- A text claims to be from a delivery service about a package, unpaid postage or a missed delivery. The link leads to a look-alike site that collects your details.
- How does it reach you?
- Text message
- What does the message look like?
- Example text written by us.Delivery notice: your parcel could not be delivered. Confirm your address and pay a small fee within 24 hours. track-parcel-now.example
- How can you spot it?
- A parcel you did not expect
Check your own orders first. Scammers send these to everyone. - A link to "fix" the problem
The FTC says the click takes you to a look-alike of a real website. - A request for personal or payment details
The real courier does not need your card to redeliver.
- A parcel you did not expect
- Is it growing?
- It is active now
- Where do I report it?
- FTC ReportFraud
reportfraud.ftc.gov
- FTC ReportFraud
If this happened to you
- Do not click the link or share information.
- Check tracking on the retailer's site or in your own account instead.
- Report the text with your messaging app's "report junk" option, or forward it to 7726 (SPAM).
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Turn on your phone's filter for unknown senders.
Sources (1)
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission: Think that text message is from USPS? It could be a scam (23 Apr 2025)