You’re sitting on your couch, maybe scrolling through your feed or thinking about that pair of boots you ordered three days ago. Then, your phone buzzes. It’s a text message from USPS. Or, well, it says it’s from USPS. The message looks urgent. Apparently, your package is held up at a warehouse because of an "incomplete address" or a "missing house number." There’s a link. It looks official enough—maybe it has "usps" somewhere in the URL.
Stop. Don’t click it.
Honestly, it's a mess out there right now. Smishing—which is basically just SMS phishing—has absolutely exploded. These scammers are getting incredibly good at mimicking the exact tone and urgency of a real delivery notification. But here is the reality: the United States Postal Service doesn’t just randomly text you because they forgot where you live. If you didn't specifically sign up for a tracking update on a very specific package, that text is a lie.
Why You're Getting This Text Message From USPS Right Now
It’s a numbers game. Scammers send out millions of these messages at once using automated scripts. They don't know you have a package coming; they just know that at any given moment, about 40% of Americans are waiting for something in the mail. It’s a statistical trap.
The goal is simple: they want your credit card info. Usually, when you click that link, you're taken to a very convincing spoof of the USPS website. It'll ask for a "redelivery fee," usually something tiny like $0.30 or $1.99. Most people think, Oh, it's just two bucks, whatever. But the moment you enter those card details, they’ve got you. They aren't after the two dollars. They’re after the digital keys to your bank account.
The Anatomy of a Fake Message
Most of these "text message from USPS" scams follow a predictable pattern, even if the wording changes slightly.
- The Hook: "Your package has arrived at the warehouse but cannot be delivered."
- The Pressure: "Please update your info within 24 hours or the item will be returned to sender."
- The Link: It might look like
usps-post-office.comorredelivery-usps.help.
Look closely at those URLs. The real USPS website is usps.com. Period. Anything else—any extra dashes, any .net or .org variations, or weird strings of numbers—is a red flag the size of a billboard.
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How the Real USPS Actually Communicates
The Postal Service is a government agency. They are bureaucratic, and they have very strict protocols. They don't just "hit you up."
According to the USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Service), the USPS does not send text messages or emails containing links unless you have specifically requested them. Think back. Did you go to the official website, type in a tracking number, and click "Text Tracking"? If the answer is no, then the message you're looking at is a fraud. It's as simple as that.
Even when you do sign up for legitimate alerts, the USPS won't ask for personal information via text. They won't ask for your credit card. They won't ask for your social security number. They certainly won't tell you that your package is "trapped" and requires a payment to move it ten miles down the road.
What a Real Alert Looks Like
A genuine USPS text alert is dry. It’s boring. It typically comes from a "short code," which is a five-digit number (like 28777). It will contain the tracking number you already know and provide status updates like "Delivered" or "In Transit." It doesn't use emojis. It doesn't sound panicked.
The "Incomplete Address" Trick
This is the one that gets people. It’s clever because it feels plausible. Everyone has had a package delayed before. Maybe you moved recently? Maybe you forgot to put your apartment number?
Scammers lean into this doubt. By claiming the address is "incomplete," they bypass your initial skepticism. You aren't "winning a prize"; you're just fixing a clerical error. That feels safe. It's not.
If USPS truly has a package with an unreadable address, they generally handle it through their internal "Dead Letter Office" or return it to the sender. They don't have your phone number linked to your physical address in a way that allows them to text you automatically to "fix" the label. If the label is unreadable, they don't know who you are to text you in the first place!
What to Do If You Already Clicked
Look, it happens. They’re professionals at deception. If you clicked the link but didn't enter any info, you're likely okay, though your phone might now be flagged as an "active" number, meaning you'll get more spam.
If you entered your credit card info, you need to move fast.
- Call your bank immediately. Tell them you’ve been caught in a phishing scam. They need to cancel that card and issue a new one.
- Check for "test charges." Scammers often run a $1.00 charge to see if the card works before hitting it for the big stuff.
- Report it. You can forward the scam text to 7726 (which spells SPAM). This helps carriers block these numbers.
- Email the Postal Inspection Service. Send a screenshot of the text to
spam@uspis.gov. This helps them track the infrastructure these guys are using.
The Technological Side: Why Can't We Stop This?
You might wonder why these texts keep getting through. The reality is that the SMS backbone is old. It wasn't built for security. Scammers use "SIM farms" or VoIP services to spoof numbers and rotate them so fast that carriers struggle to keep up.
Kinda frustrating, right?
But you have the power here. The "Delete" button is your best friend. In the world of cybersecurity, the weakest link is almost always the human, not the software. If you don't engage, they can't win.
Actionable Steps to Protect Yourself
Instead of worrying about every buzz in your pocket, set up a system.
Use the Official USPS App. If you’re a frequent shopper, download the real app. Check your tracking there. If the app says everything is fine, then that text message is garbage.
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Sign up for Informed Delivery. This is a free service from USPS where they send you a grayscale image of every piece of mail coming to your house that day. It also tracks your packages automatically in a secure dashboard. If a package isn't in your Informed Delivery dashboard, it doesn't exist.
Never click links from unknown senders. This is Internet 101, but we all need a reminder sometimes. If a text has a link and you weren't expecting it, treat it like a digital bomb.
Look for grammar and spelling. While scammers are getting better, many of these operations are based overseas. They often use "Postal" instead of "USPS," or they use weird capitalization. "Your Package Is Waiting At Our Center." A real government notification isn't going to capitalize every word like a clickbait headline.
The next time you get a text message from USPS that feels a little "off," trust your gut. Delete the message. Block the number. If you’re truly worried about a package, go directly to usps.com and type in your tracking number manually. Never, ever let a text message pressure you into giving up your financial privacy.
Next Steps for Your Security:
- Check your bank statements for any unauthorized $1 charges that might indicate your card was skimmed.
- Log into your official USPS Informed Delivery account to verify the actual status of any pending shipments.
- Forward any suspicious texts to 7726 to help your mobile provider block the sender's network.