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In today's digital age, scams and phishing attempts have become increasingly sophisticated and prevalent. Cybercriminals are quick to adapt their tactics to lure unsuspecting victims into their traps, and one common ruse is impersonating trusted courier services such as the USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL. These scams are usually executed through text messages or emails, and it's essential to be aware of the red flags and know how to protect yourself.

How it works

Scammers will often use text messages and emails to impersonate services such as the USPS, UPS FedEx and DHL. They may claim that there is missing information for one of your deliveries, or that there is some kind of postage-related issue. These messages can appear surprisingly convincing, complete with official-looking logos and branding.

Remember - you should never receive postage notifications unless you signed up for them. Legitimate postage services will typically only send you messages if you have an account with them and have requested notifications regarding package deliveries or updates. Be wary of any unsolicited messages claiming to be from these services.

Another glaring sign of this scam is a request for your personal information or payment information. Legitimate companies will never ask you to confirm or provide sensitive information such as your SSN, financial details or account credentials over the phone or through email. If a message you received is asking you for this, it is a clear sign of phishing.

Quick Tips

The best course of action to take when you see a phishing message or scam is to report and delete.

How to avoid:

• If you see an unsolicited message in your messaging app with a suspicious link, report it and delete.
• If you have an issue with a delivery, you should reach out to the company directly.
• A legitimate company will never ask you to confirm your information over text message.

If you see a courier scam in your ������ email account, you can report it to us by forwarding the message to phish@kent.edu.

If you receive a text message that is a scam you can report it:

• Many cellular service providers recommend forwarding the text to 7726 (SPAM).
• Visit
• If available, use the “report message” feature in your messaging app.

Example

In this example, the scammer is attempting to impersonate the United States Postal Service. They include a fraudulent link that leads to a known phishing website. This link was used to harvest personal information from those who visited it.

More Resources

US postal inspector's site on SMS scams:

UPS site on scams: