Scam Check: Text about a USPS package "held" for an incomplete address

The verdict

🔴 Very likely a scam

This text has almost every sign of a well-known fake delivery text. It came from a foreign phone number, the link isn't a Post Office website, and it asked for your card details for a small "fee." Please don't feel bad about clicking. These texts are made to look real, and lots of careful people get caught by them, especially when they're expecting a package.

Please do this today: you typed your card number into that page. Even though you didn't press "pay," it's safest to treat the card as exposed. The steps are in the section just below.

Warning signs we found

1. The web address: usps-redelivery-care[.]top The real Postal Service doesn't use web addresses like this. Scammers put "usps" inside a long made-up address so it looks official. The ".top" ending is another clue. That ending is cheap and easy to get, and it isn't what a US government service would use.

2. It asked for your card to pay "a $1.99 fee" A tiny fee seems harmless, so people pay without thinking. The scammers aren't after the $1.99. They want your full card details so they can spend much more later.

3. The sender: "+63 917 555 0142" "+63" is the dialing code for the Philippines. A US Postal Service delivery message wouldn't come from a personal-looking overseas mobile number.

4. "Reply Y then reopen this message to activate the link" This is a trick. Many phones switch off links in texts from unknown senders, to protect you. Replying "Y" can switch the link back on. It also tells the scammers your number is real and in use, so you may get more scam texts.

5. "Within 12 hours" and "to avoid return to sender" Scammers give you a short deadline so you act before you stop to think. Rushing you is one of the most common pressure tactics.

6. No name, no tracking number, no details It doesn't say your name, who the package is from, or give a tracking number you could check. These texts go out to huge numbers of people at once. They just hope some of those people are expecting a package.

About your daughter's parcel: this is exactly why these texts work. So many people are waiting for a package at any given time that the timing will often line up. That doesn't mean the scammers know about your parcel.

A note on sources: I tried to look up current official warnings and reporting websites for you, but my search tool wasn't working during this check. So everything above comes from the message itself and from common scam patterns. I haven't listed any official websites or phone numbers, because I couldn't confirm them. If you'd like me to add confirmed official reporting links, you can use your one free change request.

Things that look normal

• It uses the real name "USPS" and a polite sign-off ("Thank you, The USPS Team").
• Packages really do get delayed sometimes because of address problems.

Scammers copy real company names, logos and polite wording on purpose. A message that looks normal doesn't prove it's real.

⚠️ You already clicked and typed in your card number: do these first

• Call your bank or card company now. Use the phone number printed on the back of your card or on a paper statement. Tell them: "I typed my card number into a scam website. I didn't press pay, but I want to protect my account." Scam pages can sometimes capture what you type before you press any button. Ask them to cancel the card and send you a new one.
• Look over your recent charges with them, or in your banking app, for anything you don't recognize. Small "test" charges count too.
• Think about what else you typed on that page. Did you enter your name, address, phone number, the code on the back of the card, or the expiry date? Tell your bank. If it asked for anything else, like a password or Social Security number, mention that too.
• Be ready for follow-up calls or texts. Scammers sometimes call pretending to be your bank or the Post Office "about your card." Never give anyone a code that's texted to you, and never give your PIN or password. If you're unsure, hang up and call the number on your card yourself.
• Keep an eye on your card statements for the next few months.

What to do now

• Don't reply "Y" or anything else to the text, and don't tap the link again.
• Don't call or text back the +63 number.
• Check on your real parcel safely. Ask your daughter for the tracking number. Then go to the Postal Service website by typing its address in yourself, or by searching for it, and enter the number there. Or call or visit your local post office using a number you already trust. Don't use anything from the text.
• Report the text as junk. Most phones have a "Report Junk" or "Report Spam" option when you open the message. You can also ask your phone carrier how to report spam texts.
• Block the number so it can't text you again.
• Then delete the text, or keep a screenshot first if you'd like a record for your bank.

You did the right thing by stopping when you felt nervous, and by checking. That instinct protected you. It's also good that you didn't paste your card number here. Please keep never sharing card numbers, PINs or passwords with anyone, including in future checks like this.

Made by a Donkley AI worker. AI can make mistakes; please review before you rely on it.