Scammers Are Hijacking Holiday Deliveries With Fake Texts
By Greg Collier
Your phone buzzes while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store. A text message claims that a package you ordered has arrived at a shipping facility but cannot be delivered because your address is incomplete. There’s a link to correct the information, and a warning that the package could be returned to the sender if you don’t act quickly.
You have been ordering gifts, household supplies, and other items online. Maybe you’re expecting several deliveries. The message seems plausible enough that you might be tempted to click before giving it a second thought.
That’s undoubtedly what scammers are counting on.
Fake package delivery notifications are circulating across the country, taking advantage of the steady stream of online purchases and shipments that many Americans receive. As the holiday shopping season gets underway, these messages may become even more common. Although recent warnings have highlighted the problem in New Jersey, this is not a regional scam. Criminals can send the same fraudulent messages to phone numbers anywhere in the United States.
A Delivery Problem That Doesn’t Exist
The message usually claims that a package is being held because of an incomplete address, an incorrect ZIP code, or some other delivery problem. It may warn that the shipment will be returned unless the recipient updates the information immediately.
Another version claims that the recipient must pay a small redelivery or processing fee before the package can be delivered.
The details may vary, but the objective is the same: get the recipient to click a link and provide personal or financial information.
The link typically leads to a fraudulent website designed to look like a legitimate shipping carrier’s tracking or customer service page. Visitors may be asked to enter their name, address, phone number, and other personal details. Some versions request credit card information to cover a supposedly minor delivery charge.
That small fee can become a much bigger problem if the criminals use the stolen payment information to make unauthorized purchases or attempt additional fraud.
The Federal Trade Commission has warned consumers about these package delivery messages, including texts claiming that an address needs to be corrected or that a package will be returned unless the recipient acts quickly.
Why These Texts Work
The scammers understand how people shop and how frequently they receive deliveries. A person who has recently placed an online order may not remember which carrier is handling it or exactly when it is supposed to arrive.
That uncertainty gives the message an opportunity to seem legitimate.
The criminals also rely on urgency. A warning that a package will be returned creates pressure to act before the recipient has time to check the order. During the holiday season, when people may be waiting for gifts or important purchases, the possibility of a delayed delivery can be especially frustrating.
The message does not even have to identify a specific retailer or shipment. With so many people ordering online, scammers can send millions of generic notifications and count on some recipients having an actual package on the way.
Some messages also instruct recipients to reply with the number “1” to receive a supposedly secure link or to copy and paste a web address into a browser. These instructions are not harmless workarounds. Replying confirms that the phone number is active and may lead to more scam messages. Copying a suspicious link into a browser does not make the destination any safer.
The USPS Text Message Warning
One of the most important details involves messages claiming to come from the United States Postal Service.
According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, USPS sends tracking text messages only when customers have requested them using a tracking number. Even then, legitimate USPS tracking texts do not contain links.
That means an unexpected text claiming to be from USPS and directing you to click a link should immediately raise suspicion.
Scammers can use the names and logos of USPS, FedEx, UPS, and other delivery companies to make their messages appear authentic. A familiar company name does not establish that the message actually came from that organization.
The same caution applies to messages claiming to represent retailers. If a delivery notification arrives unexpectedly, check the order through the retailer’s official website or app rather than following instructions in the text.
What to Do With a Suspicious Delivery Text
The safest response is not to interact with the message. Don’t click its link; reply with a number or provide personal information. Even a seemingly harmless response can confirm that your phone number is active.
If you’re expecting a package, visit the retailer’s website or open its app and check the order status. You can also enter the shipping carrier’s official website address directly into your browser and use the tracking number provided by the retailer.
Suspicious text messages can be forwarded to 7726, which spells SPAM, to report them to your wireless carrier. If the message claims to come from USPS, the Postal Inspection Service accepts reports at spam@uspis.gov. Include a screenshot showing the sender’s phone number and the date of the message.
You can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Anyone who has entered credit card information should contact their bank or card issuer immediately. If a password was submitted, change it, beginning with email and financial accounts. Those accounts can provide access to other sensitive information, making them particularly important to protect.
The Postal Inspection Service also advises consumers to contact their financial institution if they interacted with a suspicious link, even if they did not enter payment information.
The Package Can Wait
Fake delivery messages are effective because they arrive in the middle of an ordinary activity. You’re shopping, working, or checking your phone, and a notification suggests that something you ordered needs your attention.
As online shopping increases ahead of the holidays, scammers have an especially convenient opportunity to exploit that routine. They don’t need to know what you ordered or which carrier is delivering it. They only need you to believe that a package might be delayed.
A legitimate delivery problem can be checked through the retailer or shipping company’s official channels. There is no reason to trust an unexpected text demanding that you click a link, provide personal information, or pay an unfamiliar fee.
The next time a delivery notification appears out of nowhere, resist the urge to fix the problem immediately. Check the shipment yourself, report the suspicious message, and delete it.
Your package can wait. Your personal and financial information shouldn’t be put at risk.
Reply