Is the USPS package fee text a scam?

Yes. The U.S. Postal Service does not send texts asking for payment to release a package. These 'smishing' texts use a small fee to trick you into entering your card details on a fake site. Delete it and do not tap the link.

What happens if I clicked the link?

If you only tapped the link, watch your accounts. If you entered card or personal details, contact your bank using the number on the back of your card, and consider freezing your credit. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

How do I check on a real package?

Never use the link in a text. Open a new browser window and type the carrier's official website yourself (usps.com, ups.com, fedex.com), then enter your tracking number.

Package / Text Scam

"USPS: pay a small fee to release your package", is it a scam?

By Grandma Pearl · Updated June 2026 · 3-minute read

Short answer, sugar: Yes, it's a scam. The post office does not text you asking for money to release a package. Don't tap the link. Delete it. If you want the long version, and the one rule that keeps you safe forever, pull up a chair.

▶ Pearl's quick take (AI-generated). See all shorts →

Here's how it goes. Your phone buzzes: "USPS: Your package is being held. A $1.45 redelivery fee is required. Tap here to pay." There's an official-looking logo. The amount is so tiny it feels silly to worry. And maybe you are expecting a package, most of us usually are.

That's exactly what the scammers are counting on, dear. They call this one "smishing", scamming by SMS text message, and it's one of the most common tricks going right now.

Why the fee is so small (it's on purpose)

The $1.45 isn't the prize. Your card number is the prize. When you tap that link, it takes you to a fake page dressed up to look like the post office. You type in your card to pay the "fee," and now those knuckleheads have your full card details, and the tiny charge becomes very big charges later.

The tell: a real shipping notice never asks you to pay a fee through a text-message link. Tolls work the same way, "unpaid toll, final notice" texts are the same scam wearing a different hat.

Pearl's one rule for surprise texts

Never tap a link in a text you weren't expecting. Not the post office, not the toll road, not your bank. If you want to check on something, you go to the real website yourself.

To check a real package: open a fresh browser window and type the carrier's website by hand, usps.com, ups.com, fedex.com, then punch in your tracking number. Takes ten seconds and the scammer never gets a look at you.

What to do with the text

Don't tap anything. Not even to "unsubscribe."
Forward it to 7726, that spells S-P-A-M. You're reporting it to the phone carriers, and it's free.
Delete it. Done. You just beat a scammer before breakfast.

What if I already tapped it?

Don't panic, honey, it happens to the sharpest of us. If you only tapped the link and didn't type anything, keep an eye on your accounts. If you entered your card or personal details, call your bank using the number on the back of your card, watch your statements, and think about freezing your credit (it's free). Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

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Sources: U.S. Postal Inspection Service (smishing alerts); Federal Trade Commission, ReportFraud.ftc.gov; FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov). Grandma Pearl is an AI character (always labeled). Educational content only, not financial or legal advice.