Is That 'Your Package Is on Hold' Text a Scam? Here's How to Tell

Short Answer: Yes, This Text Is a Scam

A text claiming your package is 'on hold' or 'awaiting payment to be released' and asking you to click a link to pay a small fee — usually $1.99, $2.50, or similar — is a smishing (SMS phishing) scam, not a real message from USPS, FedEx, UPS, or any carrier. These carriers do not text you to collect a release fee, and none require payment to deliver a package you've already paid shipping on.

The dollar amount is deliberately tiny because it's not really about the fee — it's about getting your card number and billing details into a form the scammer controls, and confirming your phone number is active and responsive for future scam attempts.

How the Scam Works, Step by Step

Step 1 — The text arrives, often appearing to come from 'USPS,' 'FedEx,' or a generic 'Delivery Services' sender, sometimes spoofing a real-looking short code. It references a package, a hold, and a tiny fee, with a link to a tracking or payment page.

Step 2 — The link opens a lookalike page that copies the real carrier's logo, colors, and tracking-number format closely enough to pass a quick glance. It asks you to 'confirm your address' and pay the release fee by card.

Step 3 — You enter your card number, expiration, CVV, and billing address to pay the $1.99–$3 fee. The form captures everything, and the charge — if it even processes — is the least of the damage: your full card details are now in a scammer's hands.

Step 4 — Your card is used for larger unauthorized charges elsewhere, or the details are sold to other criminals, often within hours of being entered. Some victims also start receiving a second wave of texts and calls once their number is confirmed as responsive.

Red Flags That Give It Away

1. You weren't expecting a package, or the message doesn't match a tracking number you recognize from a recent order.

2. Real carriers don't charge a fee to release a held package via text — any genuine customs or redelivery fee is handled through the carrier's own verified app or website, never a text link.

3. The link uses a shortened or unusual domain (not usps.com, fedex.com, or ups.com exactly), often with extra words or characters like 'usps-tracking-update.com.'

4. Urgency language — 'your package will be returned to sender in 24 hours' — is designed to make you act before checking.

5. When in doubt, don't click — check it instead. Paste the link into Scam Detective for a free instant risk score and verdict before you ever enter card details, and unlock the full report with your email or for $0.50.

What to Do If You Already Clicked or Paid

1. Contact your card issuer immediately to report the charge as fraudulent and request a replacement card — don't wait to see if more charges appear first.

2. Do not reply to the text, including texting 'STOP' — this confirms your number is active and can increase follow-up scam attempts. Delete and block the sender instead.

3. Report the text by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM) and filing a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

4. If you entered more than card details — a Social Security number, full address plus date of birth, or an account login — use Scam Detective's recovery tool for a damage assessment and the exact order of steps to take based on what you shared.