A text saying you missed a delivery, owe a small redelivery fee or need to “update your delivery preferences” is very often a scam. The FTC’s advice is simple: if you get an unexpected text about a package, do not click any links. If you are genuinely waiting for something, check its progress through the shop’s website or app, or the tracking number in your order confirmation email, never through the link in the text. Then report the message by forwarding it to 7726 and delete it.
These texts peak around Black Friday and Christmas, when almost everyone has a parcel on the way, so a message about “your package” feels believable. This guide shows how to tell a fake from a real delivery update, what to do if you already tapped the link, and how to report the message so fewer people get caught.
What Fake Delivery Texts Look Like
The FTC describes several versions. The wording changes constantly, but the shape stays the same:
- “We missed you.” A delivery attempt failed and you need to click to reschedule.
- “Update your delivery preferences.” The FTC’s own example arrived with a made-up tracking code and claimed to be from FedEx.
- “Unpaid fee.” A small charge must be paid before the parcel is released.
- “Address problem.” The address is incomplete and needs confirming.
The link usually leads to a website dressed up to look like a real carrier such as the US Postal Service, UPS or FedEx, or a big shop like Amazon. In the FTC’s FedEx example, the link went to a fake Amazon page offering a “customer satisfaction survey” and a “free prize”, and then asked for a card number to pay for shipping. As the FTC asks: why would a link about your delivery preferences take you to an unrelated website?
Five Questions to Ask Before You Tap Anything
- Was I actually expecting a parcel from this company? If you did not order anything, or did not sign up for text alerts, it is almost certainly fake.
- Does it ask for money, card details or personal information? A small “fee” is the classic hook. If you think you really might owe a charge, check it through the carrier’s official website or app instead.
- Does the link look odd? Long strings of random letters, misspelled company names or unusual endings are warning signs. Our guide on telling whether a website is safe before you click explains what to look for in a web address.
- Is there pressure? “Your parcel will be returned in 24 hours” is designed to stop you thinking.
- Did it come from an ordinary mobile number or email address? That is a common sign of a mass scam campaign.
None of these is proof on its own. But you never need to decide from the text alone, because there is always a safer way to check.
How to Check a Delivery Safely
The FTC’s rule is to contact the company using a website or phone number you know is real, not the contact details in the text. In practice:
- Open the shop’s app or website yourself (type the address or use a bookmark) and look at your order. It will show the tracking status.
- Use the tracking number from your order confirmation email on the carrier’s official website.
- Ring the carrier using the number on its official site.
If the parcel is genuinely stuck, you will find out the same information there, without any risk.
What to Do With the Text
Report it
The FTC recommends three ways to report a scam text, and you can do all three:
- Forward it to 7726 (which spells SPAM on a phone keypad). The FTC says this helps your mobile provider spot and block similar messages.
- Use your messaging app’s report option. Both Apple Messages and Google Messages let you report junk or spam.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov if you are in the US.
Then delete it
Once reported, delete the message so nobody else in the house taps it by mistake.
Filter future ones
The FTC notes your phone may have a setting to filter messages from unknown senders, and your mobile provider may offer a blocking service. If you use an iPhone or Android phone, look in the Messages settings for an option to filter unknown senders.
I Already Clicked the Link. What Now?
Clicking alone is usually less serious than what you type afterwards. Work through this list:
- You only opened the page and typed nothing. Close it. Do not return to it. Keep your phone’s software up to date.
- You entered a username and password. The FTC warns that scammers may steal login details this way. Change that password at once on the real website, and anywhere else you used the same password. Turn on two-factor authentication if you have not already.
- You entered card details or paid a “fee”. Phone your bank or card provider straight away using the number on the back of your card. Ask them to block the card and watch for fraudulent payments.
- You gave personal details such as your date of birth or a Social Security number. Report it to the FTC and consider the identity-theft steps at IdentityTheft.gov (US).
Afterwards, be wary of follow-up calls from someone claiming to be a “fraud team” offering to help. Hang up and ring your bank on the number you already know.
Teach the Rest of the Family
Older relatives and teenagers both get these texts. A useful habit is a household rule: “We never pay or click from a text; we check in the app.” For teenagers who are more used to game messages than delivery alerts, WittyTeens has a scam-or-real message quiz you can do together that practises the same instincts.
For a broader look at fake texts and emails beyond deliveries, see our guide on how to spot a scam message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do real delivery companies send text messages?
Some do, especially when you have signed up for alerts with a shop or carrier. That is exactly why fakes work. The safe approach is the same either way: check the delivery through the shop’s app or the carrier’s official website rather than the link in the text.
Is it dangerous to just open a scam text?
Reading the message itself is generally fine. The risk comes from tapping the link and entering details. Do not reply; report it and delete it.
What does forwarding a text to 7726 do?
According to the FTC, forwarding a scam text to 7726 helps your mobile provider spot and block similar messages.
I paid a small redelivery fee. Should I worry about such a small amount?
Yes. The fee is rarely the point; the card details are. Call your bank using the number on your card and ask them to block it.
Why are these texts so common around Christmas?
Because so many people are waiting for parcels at this time of year, a delivery message feels routine, which makes it easier to tap without thinking.
Sources: Federal Trade Commission, How to recognize and report spam text messages, and FTC consumer alert, Is that text message about your FedEx package really a scam?
Last updated: November 13, 2026