Scam library · Delivery · Texts · Email & phishing
UPS delivery fee text or email scam
The message says your UPS package is waiting on an unpaid shipping or 'duty' fee of a couple of dollars. Pay now, it says, or the package goes back.
UPS does collect real duties on some international shipments, which is why this one works. But the scam version comes out of nowhere, links to a lookalike site and wants your card.
What the message looks like
From: UPS Delivery <notice@ups-deliveryservice[.]net>
Subject: Action required: package 1Z8A0... held, $1.99 unpaid fee
Your parcel could not be delivered due to an unpaid shipping fee of $1.99.
Please pay within 48 hours to schedule delivery. After that, the parcel will be returned.
[ Pay & Schedule Delivery ]
How this scam works
Scammers send these by text and by email, often with the UPS logo, a fake tracking number and a countdown. The page they link to looks like a UPS checkout.
After you pay the small fee, the site may show an error and ask you to try another card. That's how they collect two cards. Some versions ask you to log in with your email password to 'confirm delivery', which hands over your email account.
AARP has warned that people are swamped with fake UPS, FedEx and USPS texts, and the FTC lists fake package delivery problems among the top text scams of 2024.
Red flags
- A fee you didn't expect, for a package you may not even be expecting.
- A sender address or link that isn't ups.com.
- A deadline and a threat to return the package.
- It asks for your card, or for your email password.
- The tracking number doesn't work when you type it at ups.com.
How to tell it’s fake
- Go to ups.com yourself and enter the tracking number from the seller's order email.
- Real duties on imports show up in your UPS account or on a UPS notice, and you can pay at ups.com or at the door.
- If you're not expecting anything from abroad, there are no duties to pay.
What to do if you clicked, paid or shared info
Don’t panic, and don’t blame yourself. These scams are built by professionals. Act quickly, one step at a time.
If you clicked a link or called back
- Close the page. Forward a text to 7726, or forward an email to UPS's fraud address listed on ups.com, then delete it.
- If you downloaded anything, run a security scan.
If you paid
- Call your card issuer from the number on your card, dispute the charge and ask for a new card.
- If you tried a second card, report that one too.
If you shared personal info, a password or a code
- If you typed your email password, change it now and turn on two-step verification.
- If you use the same password elsewhere, change it there too.
Where to report and get help (U.S.)
If a message seems legit and you’re still not sure, get a second opinion before you act. Reporting helps stop scammers, even if money can’t be recovered. If you are in danger, call 911.
- Your bank or card issuer
Call the number on the back of your card or on your statement, not one from the message. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and to watch the account. - Federal Trade Commission (FTC) · ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Report the scam and get a step-by-step recovery plan. - FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) · ic3.gov
Report scams that happened online, especially if money was lost. Include phone numbers, websites and payment details. - AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline · aarp.org helpline
Free, for anyone of any age: trained volunteers help you sort out next steps. 877-908-3360, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. - IdentityTheft.gov · IdentityTheft.gov
If you shared your Social Security number or someone opened accounts in your name.
How Gmork Scam Guard would warn you
In Chrome or Edge on your computer, Scam Guard checks delivery emails you have open in Gmail or Outlook on the web and the pages you open from them. If a 'UPS' page lives on a lookalike domain and asks for a card or password, it warns you and explains how to check tracking at ups.com. A real expert eye on a message that seems legit is the point.
Scam Guard can miss things, so the checks above still matter. See what it warns about and what it keeps private.
Questions people ask
- Does UPS ever ask for fees by text?
- UPS can notify you about duties on international shipments, but you can always verify by typing ups.com yourself. Never pay from a link you didn't expect.
- What if the tracking number is real?
- Scammers sometimes paste real-looking or even real numbers. Check the status at ups.com: if it doesn't show a fee, there isn't one.
- I paid with PayPal. What now?
- Report the payment in PayPal's Resolution Center right away and change your PayPal password if you entered it on the fake page.