Does USPS ever text me about a package?

Only if you asked. The Postal Inspection Service says you have to register online or start a text and provide a tracking number first, that the tracking service is free, and that those texts will not contain a link.

I am expecting a package. Could the text be real?

Some delivery texts are real, but you do not need the link to find out. The Postal Inspection Service says not to click it and to go to USPS.com yourself, and the FCC suggests using the tracking link in the store's order confirmation email.

Scam alert

Text Says Your Package Can't Be Delivered? Check the Tracking Yourself

Posted Oct 27

United States · uspis.gov · Arrives by a text message

The short answer

A text you did not ask for that says a package cannot be delivered, has an address problem, or needs a fee, and gives you a link, is a scam. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS does not text or email you unless you first asked for tracking with a tracking number, and those messages do not contain a link. The FCC notes that FedEx and UPS say they do not ask for payment or personal information through unsolicited texts. Do not tap the link. Check the order yourself through the store's receipt or the carrier's own website.

What is happening

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service warns about unsolicited texts saying a USPS delivery needs your response, with a link, sent to collect details such as card numbers, passwords, and Social Security numbers. The Federal Communications Commission says package delivery texts are now a common way to steal money and personal information, and that newer versions claim a package is stuck in customs until a tariff is paid. On October 26, 2026, Dunlap.Today in Tennessee repeated the Postal Inspection Service's advice as the holiday shipping season started, noting that more packages in the mail means more fake "delivery problem" texts.

How to recognize it

You never signed up for tracking on a package, but a text says there is a delivery problem.
The text has a link to update your address, delivery directions, or payment.
It asks for a fee, a card number, or your Social Security number before the package can be delivered.
It says the package is stuck in customs until you pay a tariff.

What to do instead

Do not tap the link and do not reply.
Check the order yourself, using the tracking link in the store's order confirmation or by typing the carrier's website, such as USPS.com, into your browser.
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM). For a text claiming to be from USPS, also email a copy and a screenshot to [email protected].
If you want to tell someone, the rule is: never fix a delivery problem through a link in a text; check the tracking yourself.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

If you tapped the link, even without pressing submit, the Postal Inspection Service says to tell your bank or card company.
If you entered card details, call the number on the back of the card and watch your statements for charges you do not recognize.
If you entered a password, change it, along with any other account where you used the same one.
If you entered your Social Security number, start at IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan, and report the text at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Open Help Now

Common questions

Does USPS ever text me about a package?: Only if you asked. The Postal Inspection Service says you have to register online or start a text and provide a tracking number first, that the tracking service is free, and that those texts will not contain a link.
I am expecting a package. Could the text be real?: Some delivery texts are real, but you do not need the link to find out. The Postal Inspection Service says not to click it and to go to USPS.com yourself, and the FCC suggests using the tracking link in the store's order confirmation email.

Practice this safely

Practice checking a delivery through the store's own receipt or the carrier's website, instead of a link in a text.

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Tell someone

Copy a short note you can paste into a text or email. It names the scam, the next step, and this page. Nothing is sent from this site.

Text Says Your Package Can't Be Delivered? Check the Tracking Yourself

A text you did not ask for that says a package cannot be delivered, has an address problem, or needs a fee, and gives you a link, is a scam. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS does not text or email you unless you first asked for tracking with a tracking number, and those messages do not contain a link. The FCC notes that FedEx and UPS say they do not ask for payment or personal information through unsolicited texts. Do not tap the link. Check the order yourself through the store's receipt or the carrier's own website.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/package-delivery-text-smishing

Where this comes from

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Scam text messages

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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.

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