USPS does NOT send unsolicited text messages with tracking links. Any text claiming to be USPS asking you to click a link or pay a fee is a smishing scam designed to steal your personal information or card details.
About this scam type: USPS text messages about package delivery
ScamRadar verdict: scam · Risk score: 92/100
USPS: Your package has been held due to an incorrect address. Please update your information within 24 hours to avoid return: https://usps-track-delivery.help/redeliver. Reply Y to confirm.
This is the most common variant we see reported in 2026. The domain (usps-track-delivery.help) is the giveaway — USPS only uses usps.com and tools.usps.com.
If you already clicked the link but did not enter information, you are likely fine — close the page, clear your browser data, and run a malware scan. If you entered your address only, monitor your mail for fraudulent forwarding requests at the USPS Informed Delivery dashboard. If you entered a credit or debit card, call your bank's number on the back of the card immediately and request a new card. If you entered a Social Security number, place a free fraud alert with all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) and consider a credit freeze. File a report at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
If you are expecting a USPS package, open the official USPS app or go directly to usps.com and type your tracking number into the tracking box. Real USPS tracking numbers are 20-22 digits long for Priority Mail and 13 characters for Certified Mail. USPS will never ask for a redelivery fee by text — redelivery is always free and scheduled at usps.com/redelivery. USPS Informed Delivery sends a daily email with images of your incoming mail, and that is the only proactive notification USPS sends.
USPS only sends texts if you specifically signed up for tracking notifications on a package you already shipped or are expecting through Informed Delivery. USPS will never text you a link asking for personal information, payment, or address confirmation. Any text with a link claiming to be USPS is a scam.
Clicking alone usually does not infect your phone. The danger is on the page that loads, which asks for personal data or card details. If you only clicked and did not type anything, close the tab and clear your browser. If you submitted information, treat it as compromised and follow the recovery steps above.
USPS holds packages for valid reasons (insufficient address, customs, signature required) but never charges a redelivery fee and never asks you to confirm details by text link. Holds are communicated through the official tracking page on usps.com or by a physical PS Form 3849 left at your door.
Forward the suspicious text to 7726 (the SPAM short code that all major US carriers monitor) and to the US Postal Inspection Service at spam@uspis.gov with the sender's number, date, and a screenshot. You can also file a formal complaint at uspis.gov/report.
Scammers send these texts in bulk to randomly generated or leaked phone numbers — they have no idea whether you actually have a package. Your number was likely exposed in a past data breach. You can check at haveibeenpwned.com to see which breaches included your phone or email.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-24 by the ScamRadar editorial team. We update this page when scammer tactics change or when official agencies issue new guidance.
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