Watch out – this fake UPS text scam is trying to trick you into handing over your personal data – 1v1 Video Chat & LIve Streaming & Influencer Subscription

By Alex Blake

TechRadar the technology experts

Search TechRadar

View Profile

België (Nederlands)

Deutschland

North America

US (English)

Australasia

New Zealand

Tech Radar Pro

Tech Radar Gaming

Amazon Prime Day
Back to school
Nintendo Switch 2

NYT Wordle today
Best laptop
Best web hosting

Recommended reading

Cyber Security
FBI issues urgent warning about new SMS toll scam – here’s how to spot it and what to do

Tech support scammers are forcing their fake phone numbers into real webpages

Experts warn clicking “unsubscribe” on that boring email could actually be a security risk – here’s why

Be on the lookout for deepfake and AI government officials, FBI warns

Tax Day scam warning – experts say scammers are using AI-generated voices to impersonate IRS, tax officials

The TSA has issued an urgent warning about criminals using fake USB charging ports, free Wi-Fi honeypots to steal your identity ahead of summer holidays

Hackers could trick users into downloading malware and opening malicious sites using a flaw in Android – here’s what you need to know

Watch out – this fake UPS text scam is trying to trick you into handing over your personal data

Alex Blake

1 July 2025

Don’t fall for their schemes

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Apple / UPS)

A new scam text is impersonating UPS and warning people of missed deliveries
If you reply, you’re sent to a fake website that steals your personal data
You can stay safe by deleting the message if you’re at all suspicious

If you’ve recently received a text message from UPS, be careful: it could be a scam. You need to be especially wary if the message has come out of the blue or if you’re not expecting a parcel, as phishers and scammers are on the hunt for your private info. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep yourself safe.

Specifically, the UPS text message warns that you’ve missed a supposed parcel delivery and that if you don’t respond, the package will be returned to the sender. In reality, there is no parcel – something given away by the lack of delivery number in the message. In other words, the scammers are sending out blanket texts without any specifics in an attempt to trick any users they possibly can.
The deception becomes more suspicious the closer you look. The messages in question contain a link that goes to a fraudulent website, but because the texts come from an unknown sender, many of the best phones will disable the link. In iOS, for example, links are not tappable if they come from new senders.

You may like

FBI issues urgent warning about new SMS toll scam – here’s how to spot it and what to do

Tech support scammers are forcing their fake phone numbers into real webpages

Experts warn clicking “unsubscribe” on that boring email could actually be a security risk – here’s why

However, as soon as you reply to a message, the link is re-enabled. To prompt this, the scammers sending the UPS messages encourage you to reply with the letter Y – when done, this activates the link. The messages also tell you to copy and paste the link into a web browser, just in case. Replying not only re-enables the link – it also tells the scammer that your number is active, potentially opening you up to further targeting.

What the scammers are really after is your personal information, as they urge you to enter your details into their website. This can then be used for identity theft and other criminal activity. Needless to say, if you receive this message or are suspicious about its intentions, you shouldn’t reply or follow its embedded links. Instead, just delete it and report it as spam.
How to stay safe

(Image credit: Getty Images)
Regardless of whether you’re expecting a UPS parcel, you should not respond to messages like this. Instead, go to the official UPS website and check the status of your parcel there using your provided tracking number.
Telltale signs of a scam message are the lack of any identifying information (such as a parcel number or your name and address), and a disabled link to a website with a suspicious address, such as one that contains an unusual domain extension (like .pro or .xyz), misspelled words, or extra characters like hyphens that are not found in the official web address. If any of these elements are present, delete the message and report it as spam. You can also report it at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center by going to ic3.gov.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Scam messages will often try to rush you into a decision by applying pressure and including threats. They might tell you that you will be fined or will lose the supposed package if you don’t respond. This is intended to get you to act too quickly and not think your decision through. If a message contains anything like this, take a moment to read it again and think clearly about whether it is likely to be genuine.
Both iOS and Android have tools to help you combat scam messages. Aside from reporting them as spam, both Apple’s Messages app and Google Messages now come with built-in spam detection, which can automatically banish fraudulent texts so that they never reach you. The latest iOS 26 update also has a Call Screening feature that requires unknown callers to identify themselves before they can ring you, and this is something that also exists in Android.
Vigilance is key to avoiding text scams, as despite the best efforts of companies like Apple and Google, there are bound to be some messages that slip through the net. If you get a suspicious text, check your gut feeling – does the text ask you to activate a weird-looking link? Is it overly vague with no identifying details like tracking numbers? Don’t panic if it threatens you – instead, take a breath and ask yourself if it feels off. If it does, exile it to the spam folder.
You might also like

FedEx and UPS phishing scams are becoming more widespread – here’s what to know
I’ve looked at all the best identity theft protection, and these are my top picks
I get annoying spam calls all the time, so I can’t wait for the Call Screening feature in iOS 26

See more News about Phones

Social Links Navigation
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he’s learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That’s all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

FBI issues urgent warning about new SMS toll scam – here’s how to spot it and what to do

Tech support scammers are forcing their fake phone numbers into real webpages

Experts warn clicking “unsubscribe” on that boring email could actually be a security risk – here’s why

Be on the lookout for deepfake and AI government officials, FBI warns

Tax Day scam warning – experts say scammers are using AI-generated voices to impersonate IRS, tax officials

The TSA has issued an urgent warning about criminals using fake USB charging ports, free Wi-Fi honeypots to steal your identity ahead of summer holidays

Latest in Phones

You can save $400 on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 this 4th of July – though if it were me I’d wait another week

How to private browse in Chrome on Windows, Android and ChromeOS

The Google Pixel 10 Pro series might barely be an upgrade

Trump Mobile looks like a normal high-speed cell network – with one big and worrisome exception

This is my favorite ‘hidden’ iPhone feature and if you also own a Mac, you should be using it right now

Got a Galaxy phone? Samsung says you should turn on these 5 security features right now

Latest in News

No, Windows 11 PCs aren’t ‘up to 2.3x faster’ than Windows 10 devices, as Microsoft suggests – here’s why that’s an outlandish claim

Even Donald Trump can’t get a good connection for a work video call

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake rumors reignite as the game’s star hints that players ‘might have to beat it again’

Google just gave Apple Watch fans a Calendar app, but simultaneously removed an even more useful one

Amazon now has a million robots on its floors – and they’re now close to outnumbering human workers

Nvidia is handing out Adobe Creative Cloud apps for free – but there’s more than one big catch