6 Common FedEx Scams Meant to Steal Your Info & Money

Stay cautious when you receive unexpected text messages or emails from FedEx—they could be fake messages being sent from scammers in an attempt to steal from you.


Paul Dughi
Updated 7 October 2022
6 Common FedEx Scams Meant to Steal Your Info & Money
Share to

United States Scam & Fraud Statistics 2020


$3.3 billion total fraud losses
4.7 million fraud reports

1.4 million reports of identity theft

Source: 2019-20 Consumer Sentinel Report

Sections on this page
  1. 6 Common FedEx Scams 
  2. Red Flags of FedEx Scams
  3. How To Beat FedEx Scams
  4. Have You Fallen for a FedEx Scam?
  5. Frequently Asked Questions

FedEx and other delivery services have been prime targets for scammers who impersonate FedEx and use the company’s name to make you think what they are asking from you is legitimate. To beat the scammers and avoid becoming a victim, you need to recognize the different types of FedEx scams and the red flags of these scams.

6 Common FedEx Scams 

FedEx scams most commonly come from fake FedEx emails or text messages, or phone calls from a scammer claiming to represent the company.

FedEx Scam Emails

There are hundreds of variations of fake emails that purport to be from FedEx. Here are a few examples:

  • Delivery failure notice: You are informed that FedEx tried to deliver a package to you but could not complete the delivery. You are asked to provide personal information to verify your identity.
  • Viruses: An email appearing to be from FedEx contains malicious software that is launched when you click on a link to track a package, see an invoice, or view the item description.
  • ATM delivery scams: You are told your ATM card has expired, and FedEx needs to send you a new one. However, you first need to verify your account information or send a small security deposit upfront.
  • Prize or lottery winnings: You are told that you have won a prize but need to send a deposit via FedEx to claim your check.
  • Update payment information: You are asked to update your payment information to receive future deliveries.
  • Account suspension: Warnings that you will no longer receive FedEx deliveries if you don’t respond.

FedEx Scam Texts and Phone Calls

Scammers are deploying these same tactics using text messages and phone calls. For example, you might be asked to set preferences for your FedEx package delivery by clicking a text message link that takes you to a fake website where you must enter personal information or your password.

Safety Tip

Don’t click on any links if you are unsure. Instead, verify that an email or text is from a legitimate source. If you have any concerns, contact FedEx directly by phone and ask first.

FedEx Delivery Scams

FedEx is one of the largest delivery companies in the US with 2.81m domestic deliveries in 2020, so it's no surprise that scammers are using the FedEx brand to target unsuspecting customers with delivery scams.

Sending Checks by FedEx

Scammers will send you a check using online postings or job offers and use FedEx overnight delivery to imply urgency and appear legitimate. They will tell you to deposit the check and return a portion of it via wire transfer or gift cards and keep some of the money as a fee for processing. You’ll find out later the check is fraudulent, but only after you’ve sent the money.

Work From Home Scams

When you respond to some work-at-home ads, they may be fraudulent. In this scheme, packages are delivered by FedEx to your home. You are asked to inspect them to ensure the goods are not damaged and then send them to another address using a preprinted FedEx label.

In the end, you don’t get paid, and you may have helped criminals commit mail fraud by shipping stolen goods to a buyer or overseas.

Account Hijacking

Thieves steal FedEx account numbers and use the stolen shipping accounts to conduct business. Scammers tend to use private delivery companies, such as FedEx, rather than the U.S. Post Office because the Postal Inspection Service pursues cases aggressively, and mail fraud carries stiffer penalties.

Criminals use FedEx and other legitimate companies to conduct criminal activity. Just because a check is being sent by FedEx doesn’t mean it is legitimate.

Red Flags of FedEx Scams

Some of the more common warning signs that someone is trying to scam you using a fake message from FedEx include:

  • Emails or texts that are filled with spelling or grammatical errors
  • Misspelled website names or email names that are close to the actual FedEx website or email—for example, fedx.com or fed-ex.com—rather than the official fedex.com
  • Requests for personal or financial information
  • Unexpected requests for money in return for package delivery

With any email, look closely at the email address of the sender and not just their name. Scammers can manipulate their names on emails but can’t send them from a real @fedex.com email address.

For example, an email may say it’s from “Customer Support at FedEx,” but the email address might be “[email protected].”

Example of Fake FedEx Phishing Email

Subject: Fed Ex Delivery Notification

Unfortunately we were not able to deliver postal package you sent on December the 14 in time because the recipient's address is not correct. Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our office.

Your FEDEX

www.fedex.com

In the above example, the message asks the receiver to open an attachment to collect their package. However, this is a phishing attempt used to steal your information. Don't open the attachment or click any links.

FedEx will never ask you to open an attachment to collect a package that wasn't deliver. You can also hover over the URL included within the body of the email and see if it's going to the text provided (i.e., www.fedex.com).

FedEx scams
(Source: Clark Howard)

If you're unsure of whether it's a real or fake email, call your local FedEx location and ask them before clicking anything.

According to FedEx, the company will never send unsolicited texts or emails, request money, or ask for personal information. FedEx recommends deleting any email or texts without opening or responding to them and report them to the company.

How To Beat FedEx Scams

The best way to beat FedEx scams and avoid becoming a victim is to be vigilant. If you aren’t expecting a package delivery, there’s no reason FedEx would be sending you an email or text.

If you have any concerns about whether a contact is legitimate, ignore it and contact FedEx directly to ask about it. Don’t email, text, or call the phone number listed in any suspicious email; doing that may connect you with the scammers and let them know they have a potential victim on the line.

Contact Details

FedEx



Verified.org

Verified Contact Details

It's important to verify links and contact details to beat imposters.

If you are a FedEx customer, you can go to their website to sign up and receive official tracking updates from the FedEx delivery management system. Ignore anyone else claiming to be from FedEx.

Do not call the number on a suspicious email or text. You might also be calling an international number and racking up phone charges. Many international numbers also have three-digit codes that may appear to be U.S. area codes— 809, for example, is in the Dominican Republic.

Have You Fallen for a FedEx Scam?

If you believe a FedEx scammer has stolen your information, such as your bank account number, credit card number, Social Security number, you should take appropriate steps to protect your identity and money.

You should consider:

How to Report a FedEx Scam

If you receive an email, text, or phone call that you believe is fraudulent using the FedEx name, report it to FedEx:

  • By calling +1 (877) 339-2774.
  • By emailing [email protected]
    • Forward scam emails directly to FedEx for follow-up.

You can also report FedEx scams to the appropriate authorities, depending on the type of scam.

Frequently Asked Questions

An email asks me to click on a text message to update my delivery preferences. Is it a scam?

This is one of the latest scams going around. Before you respond, ask yourself these questions:

  • Was I expecting a package delivery?
  • Have I used FedEx to send a package?
  • Did I sign up for text notifications through FedEx?

If the answers to these three questions are no, it’s a scam.

What if I do need to track a package coming via FedEx?

You can track your shipment by typing in your tracking number on the FedEx website or signing up for email or text updates.

Comments

Featured Reads