I got a text about a problem with my Instacart order and a refund - is it real?
Treat it as fake until you verify it yourself. Instacart is a real company and does send order notifications, but refunds appear as credits in your account and never require you to read out a code, share card details, or move money. The refund framing is the hook.
Last reviewed: 19 July 2026
Explanation
These messages copy the tone of a normal delivery update: an item was out of stock, a payment failed, or a refund is waiting for you. Because most people genuinely have an order in flight or recently completed, the timing feels plausible. Tapping the link opens a lookalike page that asks you to sign in, confirm your card, or enter a one-time code. Handing over that code is what lets someone into your account or authorises a payment. A phone version exists too: a caller says they are processing your refund, asks you to install a screen-sharing app or open your banking app to confirm receipt, then claims too much was sent and asks you to return the difference. The one check that settles it: close the message entirely, open the Instacart app yourself, and look at the order and your account credits. If nothing there matches the message, the message is not from the company. Real refunds show up without you doing anything.
Common red flags
- The message asks you to confirm card details, a password, or a one-time code
- A link goes to an address that is not the plain official domain, or a shortened link
- You are asked to install a screen-sharing or remote-access app so someone can help
- The caller says a refund was overpaid and you must return the difference
- There is urgency about the refund expiring or the account being locked
- Nothing in the official app matches what the message describes
What to do now
- Do not tap the link or call the number in the message; open the app you already have installed
- Check your order history and account credits inside the app to see whether anything matches
- Never share a one-time code, even with someone who says they sent it to verify you
- If you already entered details, change your account password, sign out of other sessions, and enable two-factor authentication
- Call your bank using the number on your card, report the details as exposed, and ask them to watch or replace the card
- Report the message through the official app support channel and forward the text to your carrier spam reporting service
Frequently asked questions
How does a real refund appear?
A genuine refund or credit shows up inside your account and in your order history without any action from you beyond requesting it through the app. You may also get an email confirming it. What will not happen is being asked to confirm your card number, read out a verification code, or approve anything by phone to release the money. If the only evidence of a refund exists in a text message and nowhere in your account, there is no refund.
I clicked the link but did not enter anything - am I okay?
Usually yes. Simply opening a page is far less risky than typing into it. Close the page, and if it prompted you to download anything, do not install it and delete the file. To be safe, change your account password from the official app, turn on two-factor authentication, and check your recent orders and payment methods for anything you do not recognise. If you did enter details, act on the password change and bank call straight away.