{"id":26584,"date":"2025-08-27T09:56:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T17:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=26584"},"modified":"2025-08-27T09:56:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T17:56:47","slug":"usps-text-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/usps-text-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Return to Sender: How to Avoid the USPS Scam Text"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Got a text message from USPS about a package that you don\u2019t quite remember ordering? The impulse to click on the link to jog your memory about the delivery or to see why a package you were<\/em> expecting couldn\u2019t be delivered is totally natural\u2014and exactly why scammers love impersonating the USPS. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission<\/a> ranks fake package delivery problems as the number one most common type of text fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scammers stick with the USPS scam text racket because it\u2019s effective. But the good news is, once you know what to look for, you\u2019ll be onto that scam like a dog on a postman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How USPS Scam Texts Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ever-popular USPS scam text is a smishing scam<\/a>, which means it combines SMS texting (the most common text platform) and phishing. Phishing is, of course, any type of scam that \u201cfishes\u201d for your valuable private information, usually in order to fraudulently extract money from you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the name suggests, the USPS scam text involves a seemingly authentic text message from the U.S. Postal Service in relation to a package that is currently in transit. The official-looking \u2014 but definitely phony \u2014 text usually asks its recipient to click on a link (to help track the would-be package down, for instance). That link may ask the user to \u201cconfirm\u201d more private details that can be used to scam them, it may ask you to log in to a bogus site (thus revealing a password that you might use elsewhere), or it may straight-up infect your smartphone with malware that\u2019ll do the digging for the scammer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

USPS Scam Text Variations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The vanilla, garden-variety (and still extremely common) version of the USPS scam text falsely reports that there\u2019s a problem or delay regarding a package on the way to you. In many cases, scammers use urgent language to pressure victims to jump into action. But that\u2019s not the only flavor of USPS scam text junk mail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A less common variety of the scam might ask you for a small fee to access your tracking info \u2013 that\u2019s an instant no-go, as the real USPS never requests money for tracking. Other common tweaks to the formula claim that the package is undeliverable due to an \u201cinvalid zip code\u201d<\/a> or that \u201cyour package arrived at the warehouse, but could not be delivered due to incomplete address information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USPS<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Stay Safe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s a USPS scam text or just about any other variety of phishing scam, some common-sense safeguards can help you steer clear of getting grifted. Like IRS scams and similar tricks, the USPS scam text relies on the misuse of a trusted name \u2013 in this case, the United States Postal Service. And therein lies the lesson: always, always verify the authenticity of any source that asks you to click on a link, or to enter, \u201cconfirm\u201d or \u201cverify\u201d private information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And on that note, be wary of clicking any suspicious-looking links in general. In fact, never click a parcel tracking link if you didn\u2019t request tracking info. While you\u2019re at it, keep an eye out for other red flags, like obvious typos and grammatical errors in the text, or links that look like official USPS links but don\u2019t quite get there. For instance, the Postal Service\u2019s official URL is USPS.com<\/a> \u2013 not USPSS dot com.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re unsure of the source, run a quick people search<\/a> to try to verify the sender. One thing you\u2019ve definitely got is a phone number \u2014 enter those digits into our reverse phone lookup<\/a> tool and we\u2019ll instantly scan billions of records to give you a clearer idea of who\u2019s really<\/em> on the other side of that text.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Comes Next<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your best bet is to ignore any USPS scam text you receive, but it\u2019s also worth blocking the number and reporting the sender to the Postal Service via the address spam@uspis.gov, or forwarding the text itself to 7726 (SPAM) to help others avoid the scam in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have accidentally clicked on the link and believe your phone or your info is compromised, here\u2019s what to do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n