USPS, UPS, or FedEx package-hold text, email, or door tag
An unexpected message or a tag on your door claims there is a problem with a delivery and asks you to click a link, pay a fee, or call a number. Major carriers do not need you to fix a delivery that way through an unsolicited text.
How it works
You get a text or email, often using the name of USPS, UPS, or FedEx, saying a package is on the way or is being held because of an address problem, postage, or a missed delivery. A link is made to look like the carrier's site. In some cases, scammers also call, or they leave a fake 'missed delivery' tag on the door with a number to call back. Arizona's attorney general warned about all of these methods in March 2026. Clicking or calling can lead to malware, a small 'redelivery' payment, or a request for personal information. If you have a real tracking number, check it on the carrier's official website that you type yourself.
Red flags
- You get a delivery notice you did not expect, especially if you are not waiting for a package.
- The message or door tag asks you to click a link, pay a fee, or call an unfamiliar number.
- The web address is a slightly altered brand name, such as a near-copy of fedex.com.
- The sender wants personal or financial information to complete a delivery.
What to do
- Do not click the link or call a number on an unexpected tag or text.
- If you have a tracking number, paste it into the official USPS, UPS, or FedEx site that you open yourself.
- For a missed-delivery tag, call the carrier's official number, not the number printed on the tag.
- Report the contact at ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you shared personal information, visit identitytheft.gov and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze.
Where to report it
- reportfraud.ftc.gov — the FTC's report form.
- ic3.gov — the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.