Is a USPS text about a package being undeliverable a scam?

Almost certainly yes. USPS does not send customers unsolicited text messages or emails about delivery problems, and it never includes a link asking you to click, log in, or pay a fee. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS will only text you about tracking if you first requested that service with a tracking number you already have. Any 'package undeliverable,' 'incomplete address,' or 'invalid ZIP code' text with a link is a smishing scam. Don't click — delete it.

Delivery & Package Scams 🚩 Almost Always a Scam

USPS Texted That Your Package Can't Be Delivered. Is It a Scam?

💡

The U.S. Postal Service does not send unsolicited texts or emails with links about delivery problems. If a "package undeliverable" message asks you to click a link, confirm your address, or pay a small fee — it's a scam.

🚨 Almost Certainly a Scam

A text or email claiming your USPS package can't be delivered because of an "incomplete address," an "invalid ZIP code," or that you owe a small redelivery fee — with a link to "fix" it — is a phishing scam known as smishing. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is explicit: USPS will not text or email you about a delivery unless you first requested tracking, and its messages never contain a link asking you to log in or pay.

Don't click the link. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), report it to spam@uspis.gov, then delete it.

Source: U.S. Postal Inspection Service — Smishing · FTC Consumer Alerts

Step 1

Don't tap the link

It leads to a fake USPS site that steals your information

Step 2

Check tracking only at usps.com

Type it yourself — never use the link in the message

Step 3

If you clicked or paid — act now

Emergency recovery steps →

How to Know in 60 Seconds If It's a Scam

Check the message against these. If any one is true, it's a scam — and most USPS smishing texts tick every box.

It arrived out of the blue with a link. USPS does not send unsolicited texts or emails about delivery problems. It only texts you about tracking if you signed up for it — and those messages never contain a link asking you to click, log in, or pay.
It blames an "incomplete address" or "invalid ZIP code." This is the single most common USPS scam script. The message says your package is stuck and you must confirm your address or details through the link. The real USPS never asks you to do this by text.
It asks for a small fee. Some versions request a "redelivery" or "tracking" fee of a dollar or two. The real USPS never charges a fee by text to track or redeliver a package. The goal is to capture your card number.
The link isn't usps.com. Scam links use lookalike domains — names like usps-pkg-redeliver.com or usps-redelivery84.com, often registered just days earlier. The real USPS website is simply usps.com, with nothing extra before ".com".
You weren't expecting a package — or can't match the tracking number. To check for real, type usps.com into your browser yourself (or open the official USPS app) and enter the tracking number. If it isn't valid there, the message is fake.

What This Scam Is and How It Works

This is a smishing scam — phishing delivered by SMS text, and increasingly by email. Criminals send out millions of identical "package can't be delivered" messages, knowing that on any given day a large share of people really are expecting a delivery. The message creates urgency — your package is about to be returned — and offers a one-tap fix.

The link leads to a counterfeit USPS page that looks convincing. It asks for your name, address, and often a credit or debit card to pay a tiny "fee." Whatever you enter goes straight to the scammers, who use it for fraudulent charges, identity theft, or resale. Some links also try to install malware on your phone. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged hundreds of thousands of smishing reports in 2025, and fake delivery texts are among the most common.

Because the message borrows a trusted name and a believable reason, it works the same way an IRS impersonation call or an Amazon "unauthorized charge" call does. If you entered information, treat it like identity theft: see the → Identity Theft guide and consider a → free credit freeze.

The Email Version, Informed Delivery, and Other USPS Scams

The same scam increasingly arrives by email, complete with the USPS logo and a "delivery failed" or "confirm your address" button. The rule doesn't change: USPS does not email you unsolicited links about delivery problems. Don't click — you can forward suspicious USPS emails to spam@uspis.gov.

Informed Delivery is a genuinely useful, free USPS service that emails you a daily preview of the mail and packages arriving at your address. Signing up at usps.com is one of the best defenses against these fakes — when you already know what's coming, a bogus "undeliverable package" text has no power. Because the service shows your incoming mail, criminals sometimes try to enroll in your name, so protect your USPS account with a strong, unique password and two-step verification.

Two related schemes target the same trust. A change-of-address scam uses fake sites that charge inflated "fees" to file a USPS address change, or that fraudulently reroute your mail — only ever change your address at usps.com or in person at a Post Office. And a "brushing" scam sends packages you didn't order so a seller can post fake reviews in your name; if that's what you're dealing with, see the brushing section in our Amazon scam guide.

How to Verify Real USPS Tracking

If you think you might actually have a package, never use a link from a message. Instead:

Type usps.com yourself, or use the official USPS Mobile app. Enter the tracking number from your order confirmation. This is the only reliable way to see a package's real status.
Know what a real USPS text looks like. USPS only texts you if you opted in, the message comes from a short code (not an ordinary 10-digit cell number), and it contains a tracking number you already have — never a clickable link to an outside website.
Sign up for Informed Delivery. The free service at usps.com emails you a preview of incoming mail and packages, so you can tell at a glance whether a "delivery problem" message is real.

What to Do Right Now

✓ If you only received the message

Do not tap the link or reply.
Forward the text to 7726 (it spells SPAM) so your carrier can act on the number.
Without clicking the link, copy the message text into an email to spam@uspis.gov with your name and a screenshot showing the sender's number and date.
Block the sender and delete the message so you don't tap it later by accident.
If you're expecting a package, check it only at usps.com or in the official USPS app.

⚠ If you clicked the link or entered information

If you entered card or bank details, call your bank or card issuer now and ask them to watch for or stop fraudulent charges.
If you entered a password — especially a USPS password — change it immediately, and change it anywhere else you used the same one.
Watch your accounts closely, and consider a free credit freeze or fraud alert at the three credit bureaus.
If your phone may be affected, run a trusted security scan.
Report it: spam@uspis.gov, the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and — if you lost money — the FBI at IC3.gov. Full steps: → what to do if you've been scammed.

Common Questions

Almost certainly yes. USPS does not send customers unsolicited text messages or emails about delivery problems, and it never includes a link asking you to click, log in, or pay a fee. USPS only texts you about tracking if you first requested that service with a tracking number you already have. Any "package undeliverable," "incomplete address," or "invalid ZIP code" text with a link is a smishing scam — don't click it, and delete it.

The most common version claims your package can't be delivered because of an "incomplete address" or "invalid ZIP code," and tells you to click a link to fix it or reschedule delivery. Some versions ask for a small redelivery or "tracking" fee. The link goes to a lookalike site (such as usps-pkg-redeliver.com) that steals your personal and payment information. The real USPS never charges a fee by text and never sends these links.

Act quickly. If you entered payment details, call your bank or card issuer right away and ask them to watch for or stop fraudulent charges. If you entered a password — especially a USPS password — change it immediately, and change it anywhere else you used the same one. Watch your accounts, and consider placing a free credit freeze or fraud alert with the three credit bureaus. If your phone may be infected, run a trusted security scan. Then report the scam to USPIS and the FTC.

Without clicking the link, copy the body of the text into an email to spam@uspis.gov (the U.S. Postal Inspection Service). Include your name and a screenshot showing the sender's number and the date, plus any details such as whether you clicked or lost money. Also forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) to help your carrier block the number, and report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you lost money, report to the FBI at IC3.gov. Then block the sender and delete the message.

Yes. The same scam increasingly arrives by email with the USPS logo and a "delivery failed" or "address confirmation" link. The rule is the same: USPS does not email you unsolicited links about delivery problems. Don't click. You can forward suspicious USPS emails to spam@uspis.gov and verify any tracking only by typing usps.com yourself.

Never use a link from a text or email. Type usps.com into your browser yourself (or open the official USPS Mobile app) and enter the tracking number. If the tracking number from the message isn't valid there, it's a scam. For ongoing peace of mind, sign up for Informed Delivery, a free USPS service that emails you a preview of mail and packages arriving each day — when you know what's coming, fake notifications lose their power.

How to Report a USPS Scam Text

Verified from official sources, confirmed June 2026.

What you need	Number / Link
Report to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service	Email spam@uspis.gov with the message text + a screenshot
Forward the text to your carrier	Forward to 7726 (SPAM)
Check real package tracking	Type usps.com yourself, or use the official USPS app
Report to the FTC	ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Report to the FBI (if you lost money)	IC3.gov
AARP Fraud Helpline	877-908-3360 — free, staffed by fraud specialists

Never call back or click a link from the message itself. Verify everything by going to usps.com directly.

Worried you gave away personal information?

If you entered your name, address, card, or password on a fake USPS page, treat it like identity theft. Our guides walk you through locking down your accounts, freezing your credit, and reporting it — step by step.

→ Identity Theft Guide → What to Do If You've Been Scammed