Fake FedEx texts and emails send people to look-alike pages that ask for a small fee and card details. Here is how to spot them and what to do.
A text or email that says it is from FedEx may be a scam built to get your card number. The message claims a delivery failed or a tracking code needs attention, then pushes you to a link. The page behind it is not fedex.com. It works on iPhone, Android and computers alike.
Reports describe two main versions. One has a tracking code and a link to change delivery preferences. The other says a delivery attempt failed and asks for a small redelivery fee. A newer pattern, described by a security blog called MalwareTips, then asks for your address and card details. That blog's date could not be confirmed, so treat it as a pattern victims report, not a proven campaign.
An older wave, widely reported in January 2020, led to a fake survey that looked like an Amazon questionnaire. It asked for a card number to claim a free gift. Some texts used the person's real name. Email versions use a logo, a generic greeting and a button.
The FTC says fake delivery texts are the text scam reported to it most often. The loss usually comes from what you type into the fake page, not from the text itself. Once criminals have your card details, they can charge you later, sell the number or try a tiny test charge first.
The small fee is chosen on purpose, so you do not stop to think. The MalwareTips write-up also says the details can fuel follow-up calls in which someone poses as your bank. How many people lose money is not known, and no number is offered here.
Nobody has to hack you to send it. Criminals buy phone numbers and emails from past data leaks, or generate numbers in bulk and see which ones answer. When the text lands on someone who really has a parcel coming, the match feels like proof. That is why the same message can reach many people in one town at once.
The steps in the alert box above cover what to do, including what to do if you already typed in card details. The key point is to check any parcel on fedex.com yourself, not through the message. FedEx said in 2020 that it does not send texts or emails asking for money or personal information.
One caution: no scam page was opened and no message was tested for this report. The advice follows the FTC's guidance and published coverage.
If a FedEx message asks for money or details, do not tap the link. Type the tracking number into fedex.com yourself.
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