Package Delivery Scams: How to Spot Fake USPS and Royal Mail Texts

Originally published on CodingCush.

You get a text message: "USPS: your package is held at the warehouse. Pay a $1.45 redelivery fee here." Or in the UK: "Royal Mail: your parcel could not be delivered. Book redelivery now." The message looks real, the logo looks right, and you really are waiting for a parcel. That timing is not luck. It is the scam. Package delivery scams, also called smishing, are now one of the most common text scams in the USA and the UK, and this guide shows you exactly how to spot them before you tap.

What Is a Package Delivery Scam?

A package delivery scam is a fake text message, email or call that pretends to be from a delivery company like USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Royal Mail, Evri or DPD. The US Postal Inspection Service calls this trick smishing, short for SMS phishing. The message creates a small, urgent problem: a held parcel, a missed delivery, an unpaid customs fee or an address that needs confirming.

The link in the message opens a copy of the real delivery website. It asks for your card details to pay a tiny fee, usually between $1 and $3. The fee is not the real prize. Once you pay, the scammers have your full card details, your name, your address and your phone number. Some victims are then signed up for a hidden weekly subscription. Others get a follow up call from a fake "bank fraud team" that now sounds convincing, because the caller already knows what you bought and where you live.

Why These Scams Work So Well in the USA and UK

Online shopping is huge in both countries, and most of us have a parcel on the way at any given moment. Scammers send millions of these texts at random. They do not know you ordered anything. They just know that if they text a million people, a few hundred thousand are waiting for a delivery that day. If the message lands on the right day, it feels personal.

There is a second trick. Real delivery companies do send texts with links, so a text with a link no longer feels strange. The fake pages are also very good now. They copy the colours, the tracking layout and even the captcha from the real site. Your best defence is not spotting tiny design flaws. It is knowing the rules real companies follow, because scammers break them every time.

The US Postal Inspection Service explains smishing, the package tracking text scam, on its official website (Source: uspis.gov)

7 Warning Signs of a Fake Delivery Message

Check any delivery message against this list before you do anything:

1. It asks for a small card payment. USPS says it does not ask for payment by text, and Royal Mail does not charge a text based redelivery fee for missed parcels. A small fee request is the biggest red flag of all.
2. The sender is a random mobile number or a strange email. Real companies use official short codes and branded sender names, not a personal looking mobile number.
3. The link looks almost right. Look closely: usps-delivery-help.com, royal-mail-redelivery.net and fedex-track-secure.com are all fake style domains. Real tracking lives on usps.com, royalmail.com, fedex.com, ups.com or dhl.com.
4. It rushes you. "Pay within 12 hours or your parcel will be returned." Real companies give you days or weeks, and they leave a paper card through your door too.
5. You never signed up for text updates. Postal services only text you about a parcel when you gave them your number for that delivery.
6. There is no real tracking number. Vague messages about "your package" with no number you can test on the official site are almost always fake.
7. It asks for personal details a courier already has. A delivery company does not need your full address, date of birth or bank login to deliver a box it is already holding.

How to Check a Delivery Message Safely

Follow these steps every time, and the scam simply cannot reach your money:

1. Stop. Do not tap the link. Curiosity is the hook. The message will still be there in ten minutes.
2. Open the official app or website yourself. Type usps.com or royalmail.com into your browser, or open the courier app you installed from the app store. Never arrive through the message link.
3. Enter your tracking number there. If the official site shows your parcel moving normally, the text was fake. If the number is not recognised at all, the text was fake too.
4. Check how the real company contacts you. In the UK, Royal Mail leaves a red "Something for you" card for missed deliveries. In the USA, USPS leaves a PS Form 3849 notice. No card and no official tracking update usually means no real problem.
5. Report it, then delete it. In the UK you can forward scam texts free to 7726, and the NCSC guide on reporting scam text messages explains the process. In the USA, forward the text to 7726 as well, or report it in your messaging app.

These steps work because they use the same skill as spotting any fake message. If you want the full picture, our guide on what phishing is and how to spot it walks through the warning signs for emails and messages of every kind.

What to Do If You Already Paid or Shared Details

Act fast, and do not feel embarrassed. These pages fool careful people every day.

1. Call your bank now. Use the number on your card. Ask them to cancel the card, block the payment and watch for a repeat subscription charge, which is a common second hit.
2. Change reused passwords. If the fake page asked you to create an account or log in, change that password everywhere you used it.
3. Check if your details were already leaked. Our step by step guide on how to check if your email was in a data breach shows you how to find out in two minutes.
4. Report it. In the USA, report the message to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In the UK, report it to Action Fraud. Reports help carriers block the numbers faster.
5. Warn the family group chat. A thirty second warning from you can save your parents real money. Scammers target older relatives hardest.

Quick Rules to Remember

Frequently Asked Questions

Does USPS send text messages about packages?

Yes, but only when you asked for tracking updates for that specific parcel, and those messages never include a payment link. USPS tracking texts come from its official service and never ask for money.

Does Royal Mail charge for redelivery?

No. If you miss a delivery, Royal Mail leaves a card and you can book redelivery free on the official website or collect the parcel with ID. Any text asking for a redelivery fee is a scam.

What happens if I only clicked the link but entered nothing?

Usually nothing. The danger starts when you type card details, passwords or personal information. Close the page, delete the message, and run a quick security scan on your phone for peace of mind.

Why did the scam text know my name?

Most do not. They use generic wording that fits anyone. If your name was included, it likely came from an old data breach, which is one more reason to check your email address and use different passwords for different sites.

Final Thoughts

Package delivery scams win on speed and timing, not on cleverness. Slow the moment down. Never pay a fee from a text link, always check tracking on the official site or app that you opened yourself, and report the message to 7726 before you delete it. Share these rules with your family, especially anyone who shops online a lot. The next fake parcel text that lands in your group chat will be very easy to spot.