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USPS Scam Text: How to Tell and What to Do If You Clicked

A hand holding an iPhone beside a small cardboard parcel on a doorstep, a paper fishing hook dangling from the parcel's string

USPS only texts you after you ask for tracking, and those texts have no link. How to spot a fake USPS text, what to do if you tapped, and where to report it.

Marco Lee6 min read

Real USPS texts only arrive if you signed up for them with a tracking number, and the Postal Inspection Service says they don’t contain a link. So a text about a “USPS delivery” that you didn’t request, especially one with a link, is a scam. Don’t tap it; type usps.com yourself if you’re expecting a package.

This is one kind of smishing, scam text messages. The general picture is in what smishing is and how to spot it. Here I’ll stick to the fake USPS version.

What does a USPS scam text say?

The Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) describes these as texts with “an unfamiliar or strange web link that indicates a USPS delivery requires a response from you” (USPIS). Scammers often pose as a government agency, a bank or a company, and the aim is to collect personal or financial information (USPIS).

USPS’s own wording for the general pattern: smishing texts “may contain urgent language, warning of a problem” and include “a link or number to call” (USPS Newsroom).

A made-up illustration of the shape, not a real message: “USPS: Your parcel could not be delivered. Confirm your address within 24 hours: [link].” The details change; the link and the pressure are the constant.

The FTC has described the same trick with another carrier: a text that “claims to be a FedEx tracking notice” says a delivery needs to be scheduled through a link, which leads to a fake Amazon survey, a “free prize” and a request for a card number to cover shipping. The FTC’s summary: “There is no package” (FTC, February 2020).

Does USPS send text messages?

Yes, but only on request. To start USPS Text Tracking you “send a text to 28777 (2USPS) with your tracking number as the content of the message,” and you are asked to opt in the first time (USPS Text Tracking). Texting “STOP” to 28777 ends all your active text tracking requests (USPS Text Tracking).

The Postal Inspection Service puts the rule this way: USPS “will not send customers text messages or e-mails without a customer first requesting the service,” and any USPS text it does send “will NOT contain a link” (USPIS).

That gives me two simple tests:

  1. Did I text a tracking number to 28777? If not, the text isn’t from that service.
  2. Does the text contain a link? If so, USPIS says it isn’t a genuine USPS tracking text.

How do I check a real package?

Ignore the text and go to the source. USPIS says to check your package status by visiting USPS.com directly (USPIS). I’d type usps.com into Safari myself, open Tracking, and enter the tracking number from the sender or your order email. If you have no tracking number and no order, there’s nothing to check.

The Postal Inspection Service also advises contacting the organization directly, using contact details from a bill or an official website, not from the message (USPS Newsroom).

If a fake delivery notice arrives as a QR code instead of a link, don’t scan and open it blind. Quishing: QR code scams explains the idea, and the free QR code scanner shows you the real link from a photo or screenshot before you open anything.

Clicking alone is less serious than entering details, but USPIS is cautious. Its advice: if you have already interacted with the link, “even if you did not click ‘submit’,” notify your financial institution (USPIS). In practice:

  1. Stop and close the page. Enter nothing more.
  2. Call your bank or card issuer if you typed card or account details or paid a redelivery fee. Ask them to block the card and watch for charges. USPIS asks you to say in your report whether you clicked, lost money or shared personal information (USPIS).
  3. Change passwords you entered on the page, and the same password anywhere else. That’s my suggestion rather than a USPIS step.
  4. Watch your phone bill. USPS advises monitoring it for unauthorized charges or changes and reporting them to your carrier right away (USPS Newsroom).
  5. Report the text (next section).

If the link opened a sign-in page or a red warning, Deceptive Website Warning on iPhone covers what Safari is telling you.

How do I report a USPS scam text?

USPIS asks that you don’t click the link, then email [email protected] with the message text pasted in, your name, and a screenshot showing the sender’s number and the date (USPIS). Also forward the text to 7726, which helps report the scam number (USPIS).

You can report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov as well (USPIS). The Postal Inspection Service says to block the sender and delete the message once you’ve reported it (USPS Newsroom).

On iPhone, Messages has its own tools for unknown senders and junk reports; I cover them in how to block spam calls on iPhone. A sibling scam with the same shape is the unpaid toll text.

What Mistero can and can’t do here

Mistero can’t stop a scam text from being sent, and it can’t get money back after a payment. It also can’t tell you whether a particular text is real.

What the app does is listed on its App Store page: “On iPhone, enable caller identification, spam call blocking, and SMS filtering,” “Scan QR codes and review their links before opening them,” and “Help block known phishing pages and malicious domains” (App Store listing, read Nov 4, 2026). Those are extra layers. The deciding step is still yours: don’t open the link, and check on usps.com. More on Mistero security.

Sources

Pricing New subscribers can start a 3-day free trial. After the trial, the subscription renews automatically at $12.99 per week unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends, in Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions (Apple Support). There's also a one-time Lifetime purchase for $99.99. These are US App Store prices as of October 2026; the purchase screen shows the current price before you confirm.

Frequently asked questions

Does USPS send text messages?

Only if you asked for them. USPS Text Tracking starts when you text your tracking number to 28777 (2USPS). The Postal Inspection Service says USPS will not send text messages or e-mails without a customer first requesting the service, and that a USPS tracking text will not contain a link.

How can I tell if a USPS text is a scam?

Ask whether you gave USPS a tracking number to text. If not, it's a scam. A link in the text is another sign, because the Postal Inspection Service says a genuine tracking text will not contain one. To check a real package, type usps.com yourself and enter the tracking number.

What should I do if I clicked a USPS scam text link?

Don't enter anything more and close the page. The Postal Inspection Service says to notify your financial institution even if you did not click submit. Watch your accounts and phone bill, and report the text to [email protected] and 7726.

How do I report a USPS scam text?

Email [email protected] with the message text (not the link) and a screenshot showing the sender's number and the date. Forward the text to 7726. You can also report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI's IC3.
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