Holiday delivery scams surge as fake tracking texts target rushed shoppers

Holiday delivery scams are surging as fake tracking texts flood smartphones, exploiting shoppers’ rush and overwhelm. The messages imitate major carriers and arrive when a package is expected, often including a tracking link or a QR code. Tapping these prompts can lead to spoofed pages that ask for login details or delivery information, with the added risk that malware or spyware installs silently on a device. The goal is to capture credentials, gain access to accounts, or install software that gives scammers remote control over a device.

What the texts look like and how to spot them varies, but several red flags recur. Weird or altered URLs are common: domains that appear almost correct but include an extra letter, swapped character, or an unfamiliar extension. Some messages request an additional payment to release a package, which legitimate carriers never do. Others arrive for packages you weren’t expecting, or claim a delivery attempt at odd hours such as 6:12 AM. Updates that don’t align with what you see in the retailer’s app or email should raise suspicion, and language that pushes immediate action is precisely the tactic scammers rely on to shorten your decision window. If you’re unsure, the safest move is to pause and verify directly with the delivery service, not by tapping any link in the text.

If you do tap a link, you may be redirected to a spoofed tracking page designed to resemble the real site. Those pages often prompt you to confirm your login or enter delivery details. Anything entered there can be harvested and used to breach real accounts. In some cases, the link carries malware that triggers silent installs, enabling password theft, keystroke logging, or remote access for the attacker. The combination of a familiar logo, a plausible tracking number, and a sense of urgency makes these scams particularly effective during holiday shopping.

How scammers know where you live or what you’ve bought often hinges on data they acquire from brokers and public-facing sites. There is an entire industry built on collecting and selling personal data, including phone numbers, home addresses, email addresses, purchase histories, browsing patterns, retailer accounts, and even preferred delivery times. Some data brokers have sold profiles to scammers directly or to intermediaries who then tailor messages to appear highly relevant. The more data a person has, the easier it is to craft a convincing delivery scam that feels personalized.

To reduce your exposure, limit what you share online and remove your information from data brokers and people-search sites where possible. Start by searching for combinations of your name, address, email, and phone number and opt out on each site you find. While private-database brokers are harder to opt out of, sending removal requests to the brokers operating in your area can reduce how widely your data circulates. For ongoing protection, some people turn to data removal services that monitor and erase personal information from hundreds of sites. While no service can guarantee complete removal, these steps can make it harder for scammers to build a reliable profile for targeted phishing.

The threat has drawn attention from federal authorities, with warnings that holiday scams are surging and that spoofed pages and malware are used to capture passwords and access victims’ devices. Experts stress that a cautious approach to delivery notices—verifying through the retailer’s app or official website, not via text links—remains the best defense. In addition to trimming online footprints, consumers should maintain strong, unique passwords for each account, enable multi-factor authentication where available, and keep devices and apps updated to limit exploitation from new vulnerabilities.

For those who want more concrete steps, readers are urged to perform a periodic privacy check: search their names and contact details on major people-search sites and use their opt-out features; contact data brokers in their area to document removal requests; consider a reputable data removal service for ongoing protection; and institute basic account hygiene: password managers, two-factor authentication, and prompt device security updates. While the season’s pace makes it easy to overlook messages, slowing down and verifying with the retailer through official channels significantly reduces the chance of a successful scam.

As December presses onward, shoppers are encouraged to stay vigilant. If a suspicious delivery text arrives, do not tap any links, do not provide credentials, and report the message to your carrier or carrier’s scam hotline. Checking directly with the retailer via the app or confirmed customer service contact is the safest path to confirm a package status. A little caution now can spare a major headache later, especially as data brokers continue to feed the ecosystem that scammers exploit during peak gift-giving.