In short
Most common fake: Text about a delivery with a link to a harmful site or malware.
Safest check: Open a new browser, go to ups.com yourself and enter the tracking number.
Where to report it: Report suspicious UPS emails, texts or websites using the fraud email form linked from the UPS fight fraud page.
What UPS says
UPS says it does not ask for payments, personal or financial information, account numbers, IDs or passwords in unsolicited emails, mail, phone calls or faxes. The only legitimate charges are collect on delivery, duties or taxes, and these can be checked through tracking on ups.com. Source: UPS
Common fake UPS messages
These are the 5 shapes a fake UPS message usually takes. They are listed in the order we see them most often, and none of them is something UPS itself does.
- Text about a delivery with a link to a harmful site or malware
- Request for a delivery fee before a package can be delivered
- Email asking you to verify account or payment details
- Fake websites made to look like ups.com
- Job offers involving processing checks, reshipping or returns
UPS's real web addresses
Genuine UPS links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: ups.com is real, but ups-support-center.com or ups.com.account-check.top are not.
- ups.com
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a UPS message safely
- Open a new browser, go to ups.com yourself and enter the tracking number
- Log in to your UPS account on ups.com to check any billing
- If someone calls, get their name and call UPS back on an official number from ups.com
How to report a fake UPS message
- Report suspicious UPS emails, texts or websites using the fraud email form linked from the UPS fight fraud page. Official details on ups.com
- Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Official details on ups.com
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it at ups.com, typed into your browser yourself, and turn on two-step verification. Do not use any link from the message.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help, sometimes claiming to be from UPS security. Never share one-time codes and never move money to a "safe account".
- Report suspicious UPS emails, texts or websites using the fraud email form linked from the UPS fight fraud page, then delete the message.
More help: Fake delivery texts and customs-fee scams and what to do after a scam.
How to protect yourself next time
Take your details off data broker sites
Scammers buy phone numbers, home addresses and family details from people-search and data broker sites. The less of that is public, the fewer and less convincing the scam messages you get.
Free: You can ask each site to delete your details yourself. In the EU and the UK, data protection law gives you that right.
- Incogni Partner link Sends removal requests to data brokers for you, and keeps sending them.
Watch for anyone using your identity
If you shared ID documents, card details or a Social Security number, monitoring can alert you when someone opens credit or accounts in your name.
Free: In the US, a credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion is free and blocks most new-credit fraud. Elsewhere, ask your bank and your credit reference agency about fraud alerts.
- Aura Partner link US identity theft protection with credit monitoring and fraud insurance.
Compare the tools that help, and what each costs
Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes our advice, and the free option always comes first. Affiliate disclosure.
Questions people ask
Does UPS send messages asking for payment or personal details?
UPS says it does not ask for payments, personal or financial information, account numbers, IDs or passwords in unsolicited emails, mail, phone calls or faxes. The only legitimate charges are collect on delivery, duties or taxes, and these can be checked through tracking on ups.com.
How can I check if a UPS message is real?
Open a new browser, go to ups.com yourself and enter the tracking number. Log in to your UPS account on ups.com to check any billing. If someone calls, get their name and call UPS back on an official number from ups.com.
How do I report a fake UPS message?
Report suspicious UPS emails, texts or websites using the fraud email form linked from the UPS fight fraud page. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
I clicked a link in a fake UPS message but did not enter anything. Am I at risk?
Opening a link is far less serious than filling one in. Close it, and if you need your account, reach it by typing ups.com yourself. Clicking does tell the sender your number is live, so expect more messages for a while: report suspicious ups emails, texts or websites using the fraud email form linked from the ups fight fraud page.
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Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.