Is this UPS text asking for a redelivery fee a scam?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: How to avoid online shopping scams →
It is. A 'we tried to deliver, pay to reschedule' text pointing at ups-redelivery.example is impersonation, not UPS. Real redelivery is free and arranged on ups.com; the fee, the look-alike domain, and the within-24-hours threat exist only to rush your card details onto a fake page before you notice the address is wrong.
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People who order a lot online are the mark, because a 'missed delivery' is completely believable when three packages are in transit. The fake fee is small enough to feel harmless and the wording mimics the terse tone of a real carrier alert. What tips it into a trap is the emotional shortcut: nobody wants their package bounced back, so they pay first and read the domain never.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Go to ups.com directly and look up the tracking number from your order, don't trust the number or link in the SMS.
- UPS does not charge a fee to redeliver a missed package; rescheduling is free.
- The domain gives it away: UPS uses ups.com, not a hyphenated look-alike like ups-redelivery.example.
- No pending shipment? Then there's nothing to reschedule and the text is fake.
Common questions
is ups-redelivery.example a real UPS site
No. UPS operates on ups.com. The extra word and the .top TLD are exactly how impersonators dress a fake page up to pass a quick glance.
does UPS charge a fee for redelivery
No. If UPS misses you, they retry or hold at an access point at no cost. A 'pay to reschedule' demand is a scam signature, not carrier policy.
why is the UPS text giving me 24 hours
Because urgency shrinks your judgment. 'Returns to sender within 24 hours' is engineered to make you pay before checking the link, a genuine carrier doesn't destroy a delivery over a dollar.
is a UPS missed delivery text asking for payment real
No. A missed-delivery notice that demands money through a texted link is the redelivery-fee scam. Verify the parcel only on ups.com using your own tracking number.
If you already responded
- Contact your card issuer immediately if you paid, dispute the charge, and ask for a new card number.
- Reset the password anywhere you reused what you entered, and enable two-factor authentication.
- File a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov to help investigators track the campaign.
Source: FTC, How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Hunch is not affiliated with UPS. UPS is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real UPS does not send these messages.