What to Know

If you receive an unsolicited text telling you that your package can't be delivered, do not interact with it.
A USPS text scam can only harm you if you willingly provide personal information.
You can avoid a USPS text scam by checking the sender, the URL, and the spelling and grammar.

USPS text scams are becoming more and more common. You've probably received a text recently saying that your package is being held at a warehouse because it can't be delivered for one reason or another. The text might even provide a URL to a website that looks exactly like the United States Postal Service website. However, these texts are almost always a scam. Let's go over how to avoid falling for these USPS scam texts.

How to Avoid USPS Text Scams

USPS scam texts, along with toll road scam texts and bank fraud scams, are one of the most common scams. I get these types of texts all the time, and thankfully, the iPhone does a pretty good job of filtering spam texts with the filter unknown senders feature. Still, some can slip through the cracks. Whenever you receive a USPS scam text (or any type of scam text), do not interact with it. Don't reply to the text, and definitely don't tap on any links. The best thing you can do is simply ignore the text because the sender won't be able to do anything if you don't give them any information.

USPS text scams are referred to as "smishing," which is essentially phishing through an SMS/RCS text message. The only way a smishing text can harm you is if you text back or willingly provide them with personal details or financial information. Don't even respond to the scammer to scold them or troll them. That will just prove that they can get engagement from your phone number, which may encourage more scam attempts in the future. For more iPhone security and safety advice, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. When you sign up for the Tip of the Day, you'll also automatically be signed up for our free Privacy & Security newsletter, where we send out weekly updates on the latest scams and cybersecurity news, along with useful tips on keeping your Apple devices secure, such as how to turn off app tracking on iPhone.

How to Identify a USPS Scam Text Message

When it comes to the USPS texting scam and other types of scam texts, there are a couple of easy ways to quickly figure out if it's real or fake:

Check the sender. If the sender is an email address or if you notice that it's been sent as an iMessage instead of a text message, it's definitely fake. The USPS sends texts over SMS, not iMessage.
If the text was sent from a phone number, check the country code. The country code for the U.S. is +1; anything else is from outside of the U.S. and therefore not USPS.
The URL is another dead giveaway. The only official USPS website is USPS.com. If the text is advising you to visit any other URL, it's a scam. (Notice that the URL in the following screenshot spoofs "usps.com" in the first part, but the domain continues with "-nsdlr," and the actual top-level domain is ".top," not ".com.")
Lastly, you can check the spelling and grammar to identify a fake text. An official text from the USPS will most certainly use proper spelling and grammar.

That's how to spot USPS text scams. When in doubt, check the USPS text tracking FAQs for examples of what official texts from the USPS look like to help you identify if the text is real or fake. You can use the above tips to identify other types of text scams, too. For example, a legitimate text prompting you to pay a toll will likely direct you to a website with a ".gov" domain. If the URL ends in ".net," ".vip," ".top," or anything else, it's a scam. Next, find out how to check an email on your iPhone for signs of a scam.

FAQ

Does USPS send text messages? The USPS will only text you if you have already registered to receive text messages about a specific package on the tracking page. You will only receive texts about that specific package, not any others. If you have not registered to receive text updates about your package, then the USPS will not text you.
What is smishing? Smishing is when scammers send out fraud SMS/RCS texts pretending to be reputable companies or organizations with the intent to get you to reveal personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank details, and more. Find out more about RCS messaging.
What happens if you click on a smishing text? In most cases, you should be safe to open text messages. As long as you don't text back or interact with the message, the sender can't do anything to you. Sometimes clicking suspicious links will result in seeing an iPhone virus warning, but these warnings are just another part of the scam.

Top image credit: The-DesignStudio / Shutterstock.com