Guides / Text message

Is this USPS "package on hold" text a scam?

Almost always yes. How the parcel-fee text works, the three tells in every version, and what to do with a real delivery problem.

Updated 16 September 2026·2 min read

USPS: Your package could not be delivered due to an incomplete address. Please update your details within 12 hours or the parcel will be returned: https://usps-redelivery-track.top/us

You get this text. There's a link. You may not even be expecting a parcel.

Short answer: it's a scam in almost every case. USPS does not text you a link to "update your address" or "pay a redelivery fee", and it never asks for card details to release a parcel.

The three tells

  • The link isn't usps.com. Look at the domain right after https:// and before the next slash. Scam versions use things like usps-redelivery-track.top, usps.parcel-fee.info or a random string. The real site is usps.com and nothing else. The same trick is used for DHL, FedEx, UPS, Royal Mail and Poșta Română.
  • A deadline. "Within 12 hours", "within 24 hours", "or the parcel will be returned". Real carriers hold parcels for days and don't threaten you by text.
  • A tiny fee. $1.99, £2.99, 3 lei. The amount is small on purpose: the point isn't the fee, it's your card number and the 3D-Secure code you type next. Some versions skip the fee and go straight to "confirm your details".

Other versions of the same scam

  • "Your package is waiting at the depot, confirm your address."
  • "Customs fee required for your international shipment."
  • A WhatsApp message with a courier logo and a tracking number that looks real.

What to do

  1. Don't tap the link. Don't reply, even to say "stop" - it confirms the number is live.
  2. If you are expecting a parcel, open the carrier's app or type the carrier's address yourself and use your real tracking number.
  3. Report the text: forward it to 7726 (UK, US and many EU carriers) or use your phone's "report junk" option. In the US you can also forward it to [email protected].
  4. If you already entered card details: call your bank now, freeze the card, and watch for a follow-up call "from the bank's fraud team" - that call is the second stage of the same scam.

Not sure? Paste it

Scamed highlights the exact phrases that give a message away and checks how old the link's domain is - parcel-scam domains are usually days old.

More guides