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Fake delivery and toll-road texts

By Nathan Fielder Checked against official sources

Updated

Quick answer

Fake delivery and toll texts claim a package couldn't be delivered or that you owe a small unpaid toll, then send you to a fake payment page that steals your card number. In 2024, the FTC ranked fake package problems as the top text scam, and unpaid toll notices also made the top five.

You get a text saying a package could not be delivered, or that you owe a small amount for an unpaid toll and will be fined if you do not pay today. The message includes a link. The amount is small, the deadline is short, and the goal is to get your card number and personal details.

These texts are sent to millions of phones at once, so it does not matter whether you were actually expecting a package or drove on a toll road. The guides below explain how to check a delivery or toll bill safely — by going to the official website or app yourself — and what to do if you already entered your information.

Why do fake delivery and toll texts work?

Fake delivery texts and toll texts work because they’re believable. Most of us are waiting on a package, and many of us drive on toll roads. The message is short, looks official and asks for a small amount, so it seems easier to pay than to check.

They are also everywhere. When the FTC looked at text scams reported in 2024, messages about fake package delivery problems were the most common type, and bogus notices about unpaid tolls made the top five. People reported losing $470 million to scams that started with a text that year.

The fee is only bait. The FTC says these messages link to fake payment pages, and the real goal is to collect your card number and personal details. The Postal Inspection Service says the criminals behind delivery texts want information such as account passwords, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and credit and debit card numbers and PINs, which they then use for other crimes.

For more detail, see our guides to the USPS delivery text scam and toll scam texts.

How can you check a package or toll bill safely?

Never use the link or phone number in the text. Go to the source yourself:

  • USPS packages: The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says USPS won’t send you texts or emails unless you first asked for tracking with a tracking number, and those messages won’t contain a link. Type USPS.com into your browser, or use the official app, and enter the tracking number from your receipt or the seller.
  • UPS, FedEx and other carriers: Use the tracking number from the seller on the carrier’s own website, which you type in yourself.
  • Tolls: Look up your toll agency’s official website or app, or call the number on a paper statement you already have, and check your account there.

If there’s nothing on your real account, there’s nothing to pay.

Tapping a link isn’t the end of the world, but act quickly:

  1. Don’t enter anything. If you haven’t typed any information, close the page and delete the text.
  2. If you entered card details, call your card company right away using the number on the back of your card. Ask them to block the card and dispute any charges.
  3. Notify your bank even if you didn’t hit “submit.” The Postal Inspection Service says that if you interacted with the link at all, you should tell your financial institution.
  4. Change any password you typed into the fake page, and turn on two-step verification.
  5. Report it so others are protected (see below).

Our first-hour checklist has the full steps for each payment method.

How do you report these texts?

  • Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your wireless carrier can block similar messages.
  • Fake USPS texts: copy the text of the message (without tapping the link) into a new email to spam@uspis.gov, as the Postal Inspection Service asks.
  • Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Step-by-step instructions are in our guide to reporting a scam text.

More guides: got a package you didn’t order? It may be a brushing scam and QR code scams.

Latest alerts

Guides

Where to report fake delivery and toll texts

Reporting helps investigators spot patterns and warn others — even if you did not lose money. Type these addresses yourself or use the links below; do not use links from a suspicious message.

  • U.S. Postal Inspection Service

    Fake USPS texts and emails, and fraud that uses the U.S. Mail.

    uspis.gov/report

  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

    Any scam, fraud or bad business practice — calls, texts, emails, websites and impostors.

    ReportFraud.ftc.gov

  • Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

    Unwanted robocalls, spoofed caller ID and spam texts.

    consumercomplaints.fcc.gov

  • FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

    Online and computer-related fraud, including tech-support, romance, investment and crypto scams.

    IC3.gov

You can also report to your state attorney general. If you sent money, call your bank or card company right away using the number on the back of your card.

Frequently asked questions

Does USPS send texts with links?

No. The Postal Inspection Service says USPS won't text or email you unless you first asked for tracking updates with a tracking number, and even then the message will not contain a link.

How do I check if I really owe a toll?

Don't use the link in the text. Look up your toll agency's official website or app yourself, or call the number on a statement you already have, and check your account there.

What happens if I paid the small fee?

The small fee is just bait. The real goal is your card number, so treat the card as stolen: call your card company right away, tell them you paid a scammer, ask them to block the card and dispute the charge, and watch your statements.

Where do I report a fake USPS text?

Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) for your carrier. For USPS texts, the Postal Inspection Service also asks you to copy the message into an email to spam@uspis.gov. You can report any scam text to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Sources

We rely on official government sources. Read how we check facts in our editorial policy.

  1. U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Smishing — Package Tracking Text Scams (updated May 19, 2025) (uspis.gov, accessed )
  2. FTC Data Spotlight: Top text scams of 2024 (April 2025) (ftc.gov, accessed )
  3. FTC: How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams (consumer.ftc.gov, accessed )

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