Shopping & Delivery

The missed delivery text

A text says a parcel is stuck and gives you a link to fix it. The link opens a copy of a carrier website that collects your card number for a small "redelivery fee". The fee is the bait. The card details are the catch.

How does it work?

These texts go out in bulk, so they reach plenty of people who really are waiting on a package. That coincidence does most of the persuading.

The page usually asks for an address first, then a card for a charge under five dollars. Small amounts feel harmless. The card gets used or sold afterward.

What does one look like?

Text message ยท An unknown number, often with a foreign country codeIllustrative example
USPS: Your parcel could not be delivered due to an incomplete address. Update within 12 hours to avoid return: hxxps://usps.parcel-redelivery.example[.]com/track
  1. A 12 hour deadline. Carriers hold parcels for days and leave a paper notice.
  2. Read the link from the right. The registrable domain is example[.]com, and "usps" is only a label in front of it.
  3. No tracking number. A real notice refers to one you can look up yourself.

What are the warning signs?

  • You are asked to pay to get a parcel redelivered.
  • The link has the carrier name in it, but not as the final domain.
  • The message arrives from a personal number or an email address instead of a short code.
  • It does not mention a tracking number, a retailer, or anything specific to you.

How do I check it myself?

  1. Open the order confirmation from the shop you bought from and use the tracking link there.
  2. Or type the carrier address yourself and paste in your tracking number.
  3. Not expecting anything? Delete the text. You can forward spam texts to 7726 (SPAM) so your mobile carrier can block the sender.

What if I already acted?

  • Tapped the link but typed nothing? Close the page. A tap alone rarely causes harm, and you can keep an eye on the phone for anything odd.
  • Entered card details? Call the number on the back of the card, say the card was given to a fake site, and ask for a replacement.
  • Entered a password? Change it, and change it anywhere else you reuse it.

See the full recovery steps

Sources

Written by the Scammer Checker editors. Published September 21, 2026. Reviewed against the sources above on September 21, 2026. The example is ours and uses reserved example domains.