Delivery & shipping
Is the UPS delivery text a scam?
Quick answer
In almost every case, yes. Real UPS only sends SMS updates if you've signed up for UPS My Choice, and they never charge fees, request address confirmation, or ask you to tap a link to a non-ups.com domain. The 'UPS' delivery text scam is one of the most-circulated smishing attacks worldwide.
Red flags to look for
- Link doesn't point to ups.com — fakes use ups-track.com, upsdelivery.net, ups-redelivery.info
- Asks for a small fee ($1-5) to release or redeliver a package
- Sender is a regular 10-digit number, not a UPS short code
- Arrives when you have no real UPS shipment in progress
- Pressures with 'within 24 hours' or 'final notice' language
Real examples
Text message
UPS: Your package #1Z9847291 could not be delivered. Confirm your address and pay the $2.99 redelivery fee: ups-redelivery.info/r/1Z
Likely Scam
UPS never charges redelivery fees by text. The domain is fake. The tracking number is a plausible-looking but random sequence.
Text message
UPS Alert: Customs inspection requires a $4.50 fee to release your parcel. Pay at: upstrack.shipping-fee.com
Likely Scam
Customs fees are collected by your carrier at delivery, never by SMS. The domain is shipping-fee.com — 'upstrack' is just a meaningless subdomain.
What to do
- Don't tap the link.
- If you have a real UPS shipment, go to ups.com directly and paste your real tracking number from the sender's email.
- Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) — your carrier will investigate.
- Block the sender. Delete the message.
- If you tapped the link and entered card details, call your bank immediately and freeze the card.
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Why scammers use this approach
Package-delivery smishing dominates global SMS scam volume because the timing is plausible — millions of people have an active package at any moment. Small fee asks ($1-5) feel low-risk, but the real prize is your card number for resale or larger fraud.
Frequently asked questions
Does UPS ever text customers?
Only if you've explicitly opted into UPS My Choice notifications. Even then, they never request payment or tap-throughs by SMS.
The text has my real name. Is that proof?
No. Names tied to phone numbers are widely available from data leaks. Personalization is not legitimacy.