Undelivered Package Fee Smishing Scam Impersonating the USPS Brand
The USPS brand is one of the most frequently impersonated in undelivered package fee smishing texts because nearly every US household regularly expects mail or parcels from it.
Part of: Undelivered Package Fee Smishing Scam
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Because USPS touches almost every household in the United States, impersonating its brand in a smishing text gives scammers an unusually high chance that any given recipient is currently expecting some kind of delivery, making the fake undelivered-package story land more often than most brand impersonations.
How this scam works on the USPS brand
A text message formatted to resemble a USPS delivery notification claims a package could not be delivered due to an incomplete address or unpaid fee, with a link styled after USPS's real tracking site. The page requests a small redelivery fee along with full card information, and some versions ask the victim to 'confirm identity' with additional personal details like a Social Security number or driver's license photo. Because USPS does send legitimate physical delivery notices for held mail, some victims mistake the fake text for a normal extension of a process they've seen before, especially since the scam text often includes a plausible-looking (but fake) tracking number format. Once payment or personal information is submitted, the scammers either use the card details for further fraud or use the personal information for identity theft.
Common red flags
- Text claims to be from USPS but the link domain does not end in the real usps.com address
- Request for a small redelivery or address-correction fee via a text link
- Request for personal identification details beyond what a delivery fee would ever require
- Tracking number in the text does not match any real USPS tracking number format or shipment
- Urgent threat that the package will be returned to sender within a short deadline
How to protect yourself
- Check package status only directly on usps.com or the official USPS mobile app
- Never provide identification documents or a Social Security number in response to a delivery text
- Forward the suspicious text to 7726 (SPAM) and to USPS's own fraud reporting address
- Contact your local post office directly if you're unsure whether a fee is genuinely owed
- Freeze your card and monitor statements if you already entered payment details
How to report it
- Report the text to USPS's Postal Inspection Service via their official phishing reporting page
- Forward the smishing message to 7726 (SPAM)
- File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Report identity theft concerns to identitytheft.gov if personal documents were submitted
Frequently asked questions
Does USPS text customers about redelivery fees?
USPS's real delivery issue notifications direct customers to check status through its official website or app rather than demanding immediate payment through a text link, so any such request should be treated as suspicious.
What if I already gave my address or ID details to a fake USPS text?
Report it at identitytheft.gov and monitor your credit and accounts closely, since personal identification details can be used for broader identity theft beyond the immediate scam.