NoScams
How to tell if a USPS text is real
Updated October 23, 2026
USPS only texts you if you asked it to, for example by texting a tracking number to 28777 (2USPS). The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS won't send you texts or emails without that request, and the messages won't contain a link. A surprise USPS text with a link is a scam.
When USPS really texts you
USPS sends texts only after you ask. With USPS Text Tracking, you text your tracking number to 28777 (2USPS), and USPS replies with the latest status. Its own example looks like this:
USPS 01123456789123456789, Available for Pickup 4:55am BOWIE MD 20701 Reply STOP to cancel
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS "will not send customers text messages or e-mails without a customer first requesting the service with a tracking number, and it will NOT contain a link."
Signs a USPS text is fake
- You never asked for tracking texts. A surprise text about a package is the most common USPS scam.
- It has a link. Real USPS tracking texts don't. Scam texts link to look-alike sites to "confirm your address" or "pay a redelivery fee."
- It asks you to reply Y and reopen the message. That's a trick to switch on a link your iPhone turned off. More on the reply-Y trick.
- It comes from a regular phone number or an email address, not from the USPS tracking service you signed up for.
- It rushes you. "Within 24 hours" or "the package will be returned" is pressure, not policy.
See the exact wording of the fakes going around: the "arrived at the warehouse" text and the "invalid zip code" text.
How to check a package safely
Type usps.com into your browser, or open the USPS Mobile app, and enter the tracking number from your receipt or order email. If there's a real problem, it shows up there.
If you already tapped the link
Close the page, and don't enter anything. If you already entered card details or personal information, follow what to do if you clicked a scam link.
Report it
- The Postal Inspection Service asks you to email USPS-themed scam texts to [email protected].
- Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block the sender. How to report spam texts on iPhone.
Questions
Does USPS text you when a package can't be delivered?
Only if you signed up for tracking texts for that package. If you never asked for updates and the text has a link, it's a scam.
What number do real USPS tracking texts use?
USPS Text Tracking works by texting your tracking number to 28777 (2USPS). Updates you asked for come from that service, not from a random phone number or email address.
How do I check my package safely?
Type usps.com into your browser yourself, or open the USPS Mobile app, and enter the tracking number from your receipt or order confirmation. Don't use a link from a text.