USPS Customs Fee Text Scam — "$2.99 to Release Package"
Fake customs clearance fee — targets international package recipients
USPS: Your international package has a customs fee of $2.99. Pay now to release: usps-customs-pay.com
SMS
Confirmed scam
The small fee ($2-$4) is specifically chosen to seem trivial — the goal is capturing your full card number.
Typical victim loss: $50–$500
FTC Consumer Sentinel 2024 — delivery/fee fraud median $180
First seen
Nov 2024
Category
Delivery
Attack vector
SMS
Trigger
Panic / Urgency
3 red flags in this message
Fake domain
USPS never uses usps-customs-pay.com.
Small fee bait
A trivial amount ($2.99) lowers your guard. They collect your full card number.
Payment via link
USPS customs fees are collected in person or via usps.com, never SMS links.
What happens if you click
Card details stolen via fake payment form.
Small charge masks recurring billing fraud.
Full card cloning for larger unauthorized transactions.
Other versions of this message
Scammers rotate wording to bypass spam filters. All variations lead to the same outcome.
Customs duty required for your USPS package. Pay $3.50 to release shipment.
USPS international package held at customs. Small fee required.
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Frequently asked questions
Does USPS charge customs fees by text?+
No. Customs duties are collected at delivery or through official government channels, not via SMS payment links.
Why is the fee so small ($2.99)?+
A small amount reduces suspicion. The real goal is capturing your credit card number for larger fraud.
What if I'm actually expecting an international package?+
Go to usps.com and enter your tracking number. Never pay fees via a link in a text.
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Check your message →First documented: November 2024
Source: FTC Consumer Sentinel 2024 — delivery/fee fraud median $180
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