Delivery & shipping
Is the FedEx delivery text a scam?
Quick answer
Yes — almost every unsolicited 'FedEx' text asking you to pay a fee, confirm your address, or tap a link is a phishing scam. Real FedEx alerts only come if you signed up for Delivery Manager, and they never ask for payment or personal info by SMS.
Red flags to look for
- Link doesn't go to fedex.com — common fakes use fedex-redelivery, fedex-trk, fedex.shipping-status, etc.
- Demands a small customs or redelivery fee, usually under $5
- Sent from a regular phone number or unknown short code
- Comes when you aren't expecting any international package
- Spelling, capitalization, or punctuation feels slightly off — 'Fedex' instead of 'FedEx,' missing periods
Real examples
Text message
FedEx: Parcel #8839271 held — customs fee of $3.50 required. Pay now to release: https://fedex-trk.com/customs
Likely Scam
FedEx does not collect customs fees by text. The domain is not fedex.com. Customs fees, when real, are collected at delivery in person or by registered mail.
Text message
[FedEx Notice] You have an outstanding delivery. Reschedule here: fedex.shipping-status.net/u
Likely Scam
The actual domain is shipping-status.net, not fedex.com. 'fedex' before the dot is meaningless — it's just the subdomain of a fake site.
What to do
- Don't tap the link.
- If expecting a real shipment, go to fedex.com directly and use your real tracking number from the seller's confirmation email.
- Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) to report it to your carrier.
- Delete and block. Don't reply 'STOP.'
- If you tapped the link and entered information, call your bank to freeze the card and consider a credit freeze.
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Why scammers use this approach
Shipping scams work because they hit at the right moment — we're all expecting something. The customs-fee variant exploits the fact that most people have only a vague understanding of how international shipping fees work, so a small dollar amount feels plausible.
Frequently asked questions
Does FedEx collect customs fees by text?
No. Real customs duties are collected by your carrier at delivery (cash or card to the driver) or by mail after delivery. Never by an unsolicited SMS link.
The text knows my name. Is it still a scam?
Yes. Names are widely available from data leaks. A personalized text is not proof of legitimacy — many large scam operations now buy lists with name + phone pairs.