Is the text saying my package is held at customs a scam?
Yes. A wave of “your package is being held at customs — pay a small fee to release it” texts is riding the surge in international orders; real customs agencies don't collect duties by text message, and the link opens a lookalike payment page built to steal your card details. The tiny fee, the 24-hour deadline, and the threat that your package will be “returned or destroyed” are all pressure tactics. If you're genuinely expecting an international delivery, check it on the carrier's official site or app — typed in yourself, never through the text.
Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.
From the research desk — this pattern is one of those documented in This Week's Scam Wave, in Numbers — July 30, 2026 →