You’re sitting at dinner, your phone buzzes, and you see a message about a package. It says there’s a problem with your address. Maybe it’s a "missing house number" or a "wrong ZIP code." It looks official enough, usually sporting a link that seems to point toward a USPS portal. But wait. Before you click anything or start typing in your credit card info to pay a "redelivery fee," you need to know that the usps zip code text you just received is almost certainly a phishing attempt.
Scammers are getting incredibly good at this. They play on your anxiety. We all order stuff online constantly, so the odds that you actually are expecting a package on any given Tuesday are pretty high. That’s what they bank on. They want you to panic-click.
Honestly, the United States Postal Service doesn’t just text you out of the blue because they forgot where you live. If you didn't specifically sign up for tracking updates for a specific tracking number, that text is a giant red flag.
Why You Keep Getting the USPS ZIP Code Text
The "smishing"—that’s SMS phishing—epidemic has exploded because it’s cheap and effective. These bad actors send out thousands of messages a minute using automated scripts. They don't know your name. They don't even know if you have a package coming. They just know that if they send out 10,000 texts, a handful of people will be stressed enough to fall for it.
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The typical message claims your package is held at a warehouse. It usually mentions a "ZIP code error" or "incomplete address information." This is a specific psychological trick. By telling you the address is "incomplete," they provide a "logical" reason for why they need you to click a link and enter your personal details.
If the USPS actually has a problem with your mail, they usually handle it at the local post office level. They don't send a vague text from a random Gmail address or a foreign phone number asking for your CVV code.
How the USPS actually communicates
Real USPS notifications only happen if you triggered them. You have to go to the official website, enter a tracking number, and manually select "Text Tracking." Even then, the messages come from a specific five-digit short code: 28777.
If the text comes from a full 10-digit phone number or an email address masquerading as a phone number, it’s fake. Period.
The Anatomy of a Tracking Scam
Let's look at what these messages actually look like. Usually, it's something like: "The USPS package has arrived at the warehouse but cannot be delivered due to incomplete address information. Please confirm your address in the link." Notice the weird phrasing. "The USPS package." Not "Your package." It’s slightly off. Most of these messages originate from actors outside the U.S., and while their English has improved, the syntax often feels a bit robotic or overly formal in the wrong places.
When you click that link—which you shouldn't—you’re taken to a site that looks identical to the real USPS.com. It’ll have the blue and white logo, the "Quick Tools" menu, and maybe even a fake "Live Chat" button. It’s a mirror. Once you "fix" your ZIP code, it asks for a small "re-delivery fee," usually 30 cents or 1.99 dollars.
They don't want the two dollars.
They want the credit card number, the expiration date, and the security code you just typed in. Once they have that, they can sell your info on the dark web or start making much larger unauthorized purchases before you even realize what happened.
What to Do if You Already Clicked
Don't beat yourself up. It happens to the best of us, especially when we're distracted. If you clicked the link but didn't enter any info, you're likely fine, though your phone might now be marked as "active" in the scammer's database, meaning you'll get more spam.
If you entered your credit card info:
- Call your bank immediately. Tell them you were targeted by a phishing scam.
- Request a new card with a new number.
- Check your recent transactions for any small "test" charges.
- If you provided a password that you use elsewhere, change it on those other sites immediately.
The USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Service) actually wants to hear about these. You can wrap up the evidence and send it to them. They track these clusters of scams to try and take down the domains being used.
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Spotting the Fake USPS ZIP Code Text Every Time
There are a few "tells" that never fail. First, check the sender. Is it a random email address like post-office-help-72@gmail.com? The USPS will never text you from a Gmail account.
Second, look at the URL. The real USPS website is usps.com. Scammers use things like usps-delivery-update.com or usp-redelivery-info.top. They look close, but they aren't the real deal.
Third, the "Urgency" factor. Scammers love telling you that your package will be returned to the sender in 24 hours if you don't act. The post office actually keeps packages for days or weeks depending on the mail class. They aren't in that much of a rush to send things back; that costs them more money in labor.
Real-world data on mail fraud
According to the FTC, reported losses from text scams have climbed into the hundreds of millions annually. It’s a high-volume game. The USPS itself issued a warning in 2024 and 2025 specifically regarding "Smishing" related to address changes and ZIP code verification. They’ve seen a massive uptick in these specific templates because "fixing a ZIP code" feels like a helpful, low-stakes task for a user to perform.
Practical Steps to Protect Yourself
The best defense is a "verify-first" mindset. If you’re worried about a package, don’t use the link in the text.
Go to your browser. Type in usps.com yourself. Paste your tracking number there. If there’s a real problem with the address, the official tracking history will show it. If the official site says "In Transit" or "Out for Delivery" and doesn't mention an address error, you know the text was a lie.
- Block the sender: Don't reply "STOP." Replying lets the scammer know your number is active and monitored by a human. Just block and delete.
- Report to 7726: Most major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) allow you to forward scam texts to 7726 (which spells SPAM). It helps carriers block these numbers at the network level.
- Use a Password Manager: These tools won't "auto-fill" your info on a fake site because they recognize the URL isn't the one you saved. It's a great secondary safety net.
- Check the USPIS website: They have a dedicated page for "Smishing" that shows current examples of the texts being used.
The "Missing Info" Myth
The USPS has a massive database called the AIS (Address Information System). They generally know where you live. If a piece of mail has a slightly wrong ZIP code but the street address is correct, the automated sorters often fix it themselves. The idea that a package is "stuck" solely because of a ZIP code error that requires a customer to pay a fee is almost entirely a fabrication used by scammers.
In the rare event that a package is truly undeliverable, it’s usually sent back to the sender or held at the local annex where you'd receive a physical "Peach Slip" (Form 3849) in your actual mailbox. Physical mail is how the postal service communicates about physical mail problems.
Stay skeptical. If a text asks for money or "updated details" for a delivery you didn't initiate tracking for, it belongs in the trash. Your ZIP code is fine, and your package—if it even exists—isn't going to be held hostage for a two-dollar fee.
To stay truly safe, avoid clicking links in any SMS messages regarding deliveries. Instead, always navigate directly to the carrier's official website or use their official mobile app to check status updates. If you receive a suspicious text, copy the message and email it to spam@uspis.gov to help the Postal Inspection Service track and shut down these fraudulent domains.