“Kim, I got a text from the post office. It says my package couldn’t be delivered and I need to click a link and pay a small fee to reschedule. I am expecting a package from my sister… should I?”
Don’t click it, Mom, and don’t pay a penny. The post office, UPS, and FedEx don’t text you a link asking for money to redeliver. That “small fee” is bait.
This is one of the most common text scams going, and it’s clever because so many of us really are waiting on something in the mail.
The text says a package is “held,” “stuck at the warehouse,” or “couldn’t be delivered — update your address here.” There’s a link and usually a tiny fee, a dollar or two, to make it feel harmless. But the page that opens is after two things: your credit card number, and your personal details. The dollar isn’t the point — your card number and information are. Some of these links can even load harmful software onto your phone.
The tell is simple: a real delivery problem doesn’t come as a surprise text demanding payment through a link. If you’re genuinely expecting a package, don’t use the text at all. Go straight to the carrier’s own website (usps.com, ups.com, fedex.com) or your Amazon orders page and check the tracking there. The real status will be waiting for you — and there won’t be any mysterious fee.
Kim’s 3 Rules
1. The post office and delivery companies never text you a link to pay a redelivery fee.
2. Check a package only on the carrier’s own site or app — never through a link in a text.
3. A surprise “small fee” to release a package is bait for your card number. Don’t pay it.
If it already happened
If you entered your card, call your card company, say it was a scam, and ask them to watch the account or issue a new card. If you clicked but entered nothing, you’re likely fine — just don’t tap it again. Forward the text to 7726 and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Mom checked her sister’s package right on the tracking page. It was on the truck, on time, no fee in sight. The gift was a scarf. She loved it.
Kim spent 30 years in computer security and now helps her 80-year-old mom — and you — stay safe online. Got a strange email, text, or call? Ask Kim first.
💡 Have a question for Kim? Use “Questions from readers” just above — Kim answers within the hour. Comments here are for sharing with other members (but Kim reads them too).
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