Fake Shipping Texts Are Easy to Spot Once You Know What to Look For

Getting a package can be exciting, especially if you forgot all about it. Unfortunately, scammers know this and send fake shipping texts to trick you into submitting your personal information as part of a fake shipping text scam.

What Is a Fake Shipping Text?

A fake shipping text aims to impersonate the legitimate messages that courier services send their customers when their package is on the way. If you’ve ever received a text from a delivery company saying they have received your package alongside a tracking link, those are the kinds of messages the scammers are trying to impersonate.

The scammer’s main goal is to grab your personal details. Sometimes, they’re satisfied with just your personal details, but other times, they’ll try to trick you into submitting your credit card information. As such, learning how to spot a fake shipping text is a good way to keep your data safe.

What Does a Fake Shipping Text Look Like?

So, how do you spot a fake shipping text? Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to identify them.

Look at my two screenshots above; the first is a real text message I got for a package I ordered, and the second is a fake one. Let’s deconstruct these images to see why the second one comes across as a scam.

You Haven’t Actually Ordered Anything

This one’s a dead giveaway. If you receive a text telling you your package is on the way but haven’t ordered anything online, there’s a good chance it’s a scam. It may be worth a little investigation to see if it’s a legitimate package, but someone entered your number instead of their own, or perhaps it’s a package you forgot you ordered. However, 99% of the time, it’s just a scam.

Your Phone Claims It’s a Scam

One big difference between the two screenshots is the warning claiming that the fake text message is a scam. While these scam checkers are never perfect, they’re right most of the time. If you see this dialog box, take everything within the text message with a grain of salt.

The Text Comes From a Random Number

When you receive a text from a legitimate business, it usually shows the company’s name instead of the number they used to contact you (known as caller ID). In the images above, Yodel’s name appears where the phone number usually is.

If you get a text message claiming to be from a well-known company, but it’s seemingly coming from a random number, exercise caution.

The Text Message Features Typos and Odd Grammar

Take a look at the text message’s content. Does it sound like something the company would send you? Does the text flow properly with correct grammar? Or does it have typos and strange sentences that seem off somehow? If it’s the latter, it’s likely a scam.

Note how the first message in the screenshots above reads professionally, but the second one sounds a little “off.” That’s a good sign that you’re dealing with a scammer.

The Link Does Not Look Legitimate

In the screenshots above, you can see that the Yodel text gives me a Yodel-based URL to click, while the fake Royal Mail one uses a link-shortening service to hide its URL. Some legitimate businesses will also use link-shortening services, so it’s not a surefire way of telling a real text from a scam one. However, once you click the link, you can check the URL you’re directed to. If the URL looks fishy, it’s a scam.

The Website Doesn’t Feature a Tracking Number

When a legitimate service texts you about your shipment, it usually features a real tracking number you can cross-reference. Fake websites usually don’t show a tracking number, which is a big red flag. If they do show one, they’re likely fake.

In the above images, Yodel’s URL included a tracking number, while the Royal Mail one did not, which was a big giveaway.

What to Do If You’re Unsure About a Shipping Text

If you received a text about a package but are unsure if it’s real, try looking for a tracking number. If you find one, close the text message, open a new browser, and navigate to the courier service’s official website. Enter the tracking number there and see if something comes up; if nothing does or there is no tracking number in the text message, you’ve likely got a scam on your hands.

If you’re still uncertain, it’s worth contacting the courier’s customer support service and describing the text message. They’ll be able to inform you if the message you received is a scam or not.

Getting packages is great, but getting scammed by a shipping text is anything but. Fortunately, if you use your head to analyze a text before clicking any links, you should be safe from these scams.