The USPS “package on hold” text scam

Scam guide · Updated September 30, 2026

What the text looks like

The wording changes every few weeks, but the shape stays the same: your package is stuck, something is wrong with the address, and a link will fix it — usually within 24 or 48 hours.

The link opens a page that looks like the real USPS site. It asks you to “confirm” your address, then to pay a small redelivery fee — often a dollar or two. The fee is the point: once you type in your card number, the scammers have it.

The one fact that settles it

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS won't send you a text or email unless you first asked for tracking updates with a tracking number — and even then, the message won't contain a link. So a delivery text with a link that you never signed up for isn't from USPS. (USPIS)

Other signs it's fake

• You weren't expecting a USPS package, or you never gave USPS your number.
• There's a deadline (“within 24 hours”) meant to rush you.
• It asks for a fee, card number or personal details to release a package.
• The link isn't usps.com — look for extra words, odd endings, or a shortened link.
• The sender is an email address or an unfamiliar number, not a short code you signed up for.

What to do

1. Don't tap the link or reply. Replying tells the sender your number is live.
2. Check tracking yourself. Type usps.com into your browser and enter the tracking number from the seller's order email.
3. Report it. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), and email the details and a screenshot to spam@uspis.gov.
4. Delete it once you've reported it.

If you already entered your card

Call your bank or card issuer using the number on the back of your card, tell them it was a phishing site, and ask them to block the card and reverse any charges. Watch your statements for small “test” charges, which often come first. You can also report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Common questions

Does USPS ever text about a package?

Only if you signed up for tracking updates with a tracking number yourself. According to USPIS, those messages don't include links.

I only paid $1.99 — does it matter?

Yes. The small fee is a way to get your full card number. Call your card issuer and ask them to block the card.

Where do I report a fake USPS text?

Forward it to 7726 and email the details to spam@uspis.gov. You can also report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Related: the FedEx and UPS delivery text scam, the brushing scam (a package you never ordered), how to check if a link is safe before you tap it, how to check if an Amazon text is real, the fake product recall text scam, and how to report a scam text, step by step.

ScamSensor isn't affiliated with the United States Postal Service. USPS is a trademark of the U.S. Postal Service.

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