What is the UPS scam and how to avoid it

UPS scam texts are victimizing consumers across the US and other countries. These fraudulent messages trick people into sharing sensitive personal information and making fraudulent payments. This guide explains how scammers execute the UPS scam and how to protect yourself.

Due to current regulations, scammers easily obtain phone numbers via people-finder sites. After acquiring lists of mobile numbers, they send phishing texts claiming to be from UPS.

The UPS scam targets people with messages designed to steal personal information. When victims follow the link or reply with their personal or payment details, scammers defraud them. Following links in fake UPS messages can also lead to malware infections.

Scammers primarily rely on playing a numbers game to succeed. When someone is expecting a parcel, they often mistakenly respond, providing the information scammers need for identity theft or financial theft.

This guide tells you what to watch out for and explains how to remove yourself from the data broker sites scammers use to harvest phone numbers.

What is the UPS scam?

In the UPS scam, fraudsters impersonate UPS representatives through fake texts or emails. They claim there is a delivery issue and ask for parcel tracking information.

The goal of this parcel-tracking text scam is to steal personal information. If you respond or click the link, you’ll get directed to a cloned UPS website where scammers collect the information you provide. It is similar to the Amazon driver text message scam.

Often, scammers claim an error occurred, and the postage was underpaid. They ask for a small additional fee, but when you provide your details, they use them to commit fraud.

It’s important to remember that UPS will never send messages asking for shipping fees or other charges. Any message requesting a fee is always a scam.

How does the UPS text scam work?

The UPS text scam tricks recipients into providing data or clicking malicious links. It begins with an unsolicited text pretending to be from a UPS representative or driver.

These messages often claim a delivery issue requiring additional information or payment.

Clicking the link leads to a hacker-controlled website, where scammers either steal your data or infect your devices with malware, allowing them to access your personal information, including payment details or bank logins.

Common UPS scams

The most common UPS scams include:

• Fake delivery notifications: Scammers send messages about a package to trick you into providing personal data or clicking a link that infects your device with malware.
• Shipping fee scams: Messages claim you must pay an additional fee to receive your package.
• Package redirection scams: Fraudsters ask you to redirect your package, using your address for identity theft or other fraudulent activities.
• Impersonation scams: Scammers pose as UPS customer service representatives or delivery drivers, requesting personal details to commit fraud.
• Fake prize scams: A message claims you’ve won a prize to be shipped by UPS, but you must pay a fee. Providing payment details leads to fraud.
• Customer survey scams: Scammers pretend to be from UPS, offering rewards for filling out a survey while phishing personal data for identity theft or fraud.

How to spot a UPS scam

To protect yourself from UPS scams and other delivery scams (Amazon, DHL, etc.), it’s essential to recognize warning signs. UPS scams take many forms, including phishing emails, email scams, and parcel-tracking text scams.

Here’s a checklist to help you spot fake messages and avoid falling victim to scams that prey on your emotions in the heat of the moment.

Unsolicited messages

If you receive an unexpected message about a UPS delivery, it’s likely a scam. Scammers send messages to hundreds or thousands of numbers daily, hoping someone will respond.

Fraudsters target people expecting parcels since they are more likely to respond. That’s why delivery scams are a numbers game—stay vigilant to avoid becoming one of the few who fall for them.

If you’re expecting a parcel, be extra cautious. This is when you’re most vulnerable. If you suspect UPS or another delivery service is trying to contact you, message them directly through their official website without responding to the unsolicited text or email.

Poor grammar and spelling

Many scam messages contain spelling errors or awkward phrasing, which should raise red flags.

However, with the rise of generative AI models like ChatGPT, scammers have improved their message quality. As a result, consumers need to be extra vigilant since spelling errors and awkward phrasing are becoming less common.

Requests for personal information

Genuine UPS representatives will never ask for sensitive information via text or email. You’ll never need to respond with personal information like your name, address, or payment details.

If you believe UPS is trying to contact you, go directly to their website without clicking any links in the message or email.

Urgency/time pressure

Scammers manipulate emotions to make people act impulsively. They create a sense of urgency, prompting victims to act quickly without thinking. This is a common phishing tactic, so be wary of messages that create urgency.

Even exciting messages, like winning a prize, should be considered suspicious. Scammers use both positive and negative emotions to trick victims. If you receive a message claiming you’ve won a prize but need to pay postage, it’s likely a scam to steal your card details.

Unusual email addresses or URLs

Our best advice for avoiding scams is to never respond directly to unsolicited messages or click on their links. Instead, visit the service’s official website through your browser.

To assess whether a message is genuine, examine the links and sender addresses closely. Fake links or email addresses often mimic real ones but with slight differences.

Requests for payments or fees

UPS will never ask for payment information through an unsolicited message. If you receive a text, call, or email requesting payment details, it’s a scam.

How to avoid a UPS scam

To recap on the advice above, here is a checklist of things to do to avoid being victimized by scammers posing as UPS representatives or drivers, including fake UPS emails and UPS scam texts:

1. Verify communication by contacting UPS directly: If you receive a suspicious message, always contact UPS directly through their official website or phone number.
2. Check sender information: Legitimate UPS communication will come from official domains and phone numbers.
3. Avoid sharing personal information: Never send sensitive details over text or email unless you are sure the recipient is legitimate.
4. Resist time pressure: Legitimate companies will never pressure you to make hasty decisions. Take your time to verify any requests.
5. Double-check URLs: Many scam links look almost identical to legitimate ones, so be extra cautious and verify URLs manually.
6. Protect your contact details: Use throwaway email addresses or burner phone numbers to keep your contact information private. Remove your data from people search sites to prevent criminals from accessing your information and sending unsolicited communication, like UPS phishing emails or fake delivery notifications.

How Incogni can help you to avoid UPS scams

Manually opting out of data broker sites can be exhausting and time-consuming. Luckily, there is a solution: Incogni.

Incogni offers a simple solution that helps to protect you against UPS scams, Amazon scams, eBay scams, and dozens of other phishing and hacking cyberscams. This service removes your data from online databases, such as people finder websites and data brokers.

Incogni automates removing all your personal information from over 180 data brokers! This protects your digital footprint and makes it much harder for scammers to get your details (such as a phone number or email address) to engage in scams.

How does Incogni work?

Incogni approaches a massive list of data brokers to search for your personal information. It sends removal requests on your behalf if it finds you in any people finder or data broker database.

Incogni keeps sending those requests until each service has complied and it can no longer find any of your data online. Once successful, your data isn’t available to be purchased by scammers wanting to exploit it for UPS phishing emails or scam texts.

Ongoing protection against data brokers

Data brokers often re-add your information after removal by claiming they reacquired it legally. They even use this loophole to keep your data on file when you ask for it to be deleted: they keep it on ice so that they can add it back in a few months.

Incogni protects you against this problem by continuously monitoring data broker websites. If it finds your data has been re-added, it will send fresh removal requests. This ensures that whenever your data resurfaces, it is quickly erased again.

Incogni works with all major data brokers, including CoCoFinder, People Search Now, Radaris, OKCaller, and many others.

Track your data removal

One of our favorite things about using Incogni is that it comes with a personal dashboard. This leaves you with no question about what is happening with your removal requests. You can see when requests are made and fulfilled, and new searches and requests start. This gives you full transparency over what you are getting from the service.

Excellent value for money

One of the best things about Incogni is that it is offering our readers a special 50% discount. When you click the link in this guide, you can get a subscription for $7.99 per month, which is excellent value for a service that can save you hundreds of hours annually.

Incogni estimates that it takes individuals 304 hours to remove their data from all data brokers. That means you would need to spend up to 608 hours each year asking for your data to be removed twice. Incogni, on the other hand, searches and removes data continually, keeping you safe without the headache.

Benefits of using Incogni

• Lower identity theft risk: Removing your data reduces the chances of it being exploited by scammers.
• Prevent UPS scams: Keeping your information private makes it harder for scammers to target you with UPS scam texts or phishing emails. As well as hundreds of other scams.
• Less exposure to fraud: Data brokers sell your information, increasing your risk of fraud. Incogni helps eliminate this exposure, keeping your finances safer.

What to do if you fall victim to a UPS scam

If you believe you’ve fallen victim to a UPS scam, such as a UPS scam email or a fake UPS email, you must act quickly by following these steps:

1. Secure your accounts: Change the passwords for any accounts you believe may have been compromised. If possible, also enable two-factor authentication.
2. Check for malware: If you have clicked a suspicious link, we advise running a malware scan on your device to ensure no infections.
3. Contact your bank: Check your statements for unusual activity and request that your card be canceled. If necessary, also temporarily freeze your account. This will help protect you against fraud.
4. Report fraud to the authorities: Report the scam to the police, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and UPS.