High riskDelivery In-depth guide 8 min read

Fake Delivery Text Scam

This scam impersonates a courier with a missed-delivery text and a link to a fake page that asks for a fee or your personal and card details.

Quick verdict

Risk level
High risk
Scam type
Delivery impersonation scam
Main red flag
A missed-delivery text with a link from a number or address that is not the courier's official channel.
What to do first
Do not click. Track the parcel through the courier's official website or app.

How this scam works

A text arrives saying a parcel could not be delivered and asks you to pay a small redelivery or customs fee, or to "confirm" your address through a link. It looks routine, it lands at a moment when you probably are expecting something, and the amount is trivial, often under a dollar or a pound. That combination is exactly why fake delivery texts, a form of "smishing" (SMS phishing), have become one of the most widespread scams in the world.

The goal is rarely the tiny fee itself. The link leads to a convincing copy of a courier's website that harvests your card number, address, and often a one-time passcode your bank sends moments later. With those details, criminals can attempt far larger charges, add your card to a mobile wallet, or sell the data on. Some versions skip payment entirely and instead push you to "install the tracking app," which is malware.

Because these messages are sent in enormous volumes to random numbers, they do not need to be accurate to work. If even a small fraction of recipients happen to be awaiting a delivery that day, the scam pays for itself. Understanding the mechanics, and building one simple habit of never paying or logging in through a texted link, defeats almost every variant.

Related tricks worth knowing: the Canada Post Text Scam and the Fake Customs Fee Text. For the wider picture, browse the Delivery & Postal Scams guides or run the message through our scam checker.

By the numbers

$330M
reported lost to text-message scams in the US in 2022, more than double the year before
Source: US Federal Trade Commission
#2
fake package-delivery texts were the second most-reported text scam type
Source: FTC Data Spotlight

Tell-tale red flags

  • A delivery alert from a courier you did not order from
  • A link that does not match the courier's official website
  • A request to pay a fee or confirm card details to release the parcel
  • Generic wording that never names the retailer or item
  • Pressure to act before the parcel is 'returned to sender'

Staying safe

  • Do not click the link or pay any fee
  • Find the retailer's order confirmation and use its official tracking
  • Verify with the courier through its official website or app
  • Report and delete the message

How to verify safely

  • Do not tap links in delivery texts. Open the courier's official app or type their known website address yourself.
  • Track parcels using the tracking number from the retailer's own order confirmation, not from the text.
  • Remember that genuine couriers do not ask for card details or bank security codes by text link for a small fee.
  • Check the sender and any web address carefully, scam links use lookalike domains with extra words or odd endings.
  • If you are unsure a fee is real, contact the retailer you actually ordered from through their official channels.

How it usually reads

Example pattern, not a real report
Example pattern: 'Your package is held at our depot. Please confirm your delivery preferences: [suspicious link]'

This is a fictional, anonymised example used to illustrate the pattern. It is not a verified real message, and any names are used only to show how the scam typically reads.

What to notice: A missed-delivery text with a link from a number or address that is not the courier's official channel.

Step by step: how the scam unfolds

  1. Mass send to random numbersCriminals blast the same template to huge lists of phone numbers, sometimes spoofing a courier's name so it threads with real notifications.
  2. A believable problemThe message invents a small obstacle, an unpaid fee, a wrong address, a held parcel, that feels quick and cheap to resolve.
  3. The link to a cloned siteYou are sent to a lookalike page copying the courier's branding, colours, and logo, hosted on a slightly-off web address.
  4. Card and personal details capturedYou enter your address and card "to pay the fee." Everything you type is sent straight to the scammer.
  5. The one-time code trapYour bank texts a genuine verification code for a much larger transaction the criminal is attempting; the fake site asks you to enter it, authorising the fraud.

A real-world scenario

Anonymised, illustrative scenario

An illustrative example

Priya was expecting a birthday gift she had ordered, so when a text said her parcel was "held pending a £1.45 shipping fee," it fit what she already believed. She tapped the link, reached a page that looked exactly like the courier she uses, and entered her card details to pay the small amount.

A minute later her banking app buzzed with a verification code, which the page asked her to type in "to confirm delivery." She paused, a redelivery fee should not need a bank security code. She closed the page, did not enter the code, and phoned her bank using the number on her card. They confirmed someone had just tried to add her card to a digital wallet. Because she never shared the code, the attempt failed. This example is fictional and illustrative, but the sequence is typical.

Variations to watch for

Customs or import fee

For international parcels, the fee is dressed up as customs duty or a tax, which sounds more plausible for overseas orders.

"Address could not be verified"

Instead of money, the first ask is your full address and details, building a profile for later fraud or a follow-up call.

Fake tracking app

A link invites you to install an app to track or reschedule the parcel; the download is malware that can read your messages and banking apps.

Follow-up phone call

Some gangs call afterwards posing as your bank's fraud team, using the details you entered to sound convincing and extract more.

Steps if you already acted

  • Stop and do not submit any details on the page
  • Contact your bank if you entered card information
  • Change any password you may have entered
  • Monitor your accounts for unusual activity

Common mistakes

  • Do not reply to confirm your number is active
  • Do not share one-time codes
  • Do not install apps the message asks you to download

Scams like this one

High risk Delivery

Canada Post Text Scam

This scam sends a fake Canada Post delivery notice asking you to click a link or pay a small redelivery fee, then collects your card and personal details on a fake page.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Delivery

Fake Customs Fee Text

This scam texts that a parcel is held in customs and a fee is due, linking to a fake page that collects your card and personal details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Medium risk Email

Fake Amazon Order Email

This scam emails a fake order confirmation for an expensive item, hoping you click a link or call a number to dispute a charge you never made.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Your questions answered

How do scammers know I am expecting a delivery?
In most cases they do not. These texts are sent in bulk, and with so many people shopping online, some recipients happen to be waiting for a parcel.
Are all courier texts fake?
No. Couriers do send genuine updates. The warning signs are unexpected fees, mismatched links, and requests for personal or card details.
How can I tell the real courier site from a fake one?
Type the courier's address yourself or use its official app instead of tapping the link. Check the web address carefully for misspellings and extra words.
What should I do if I shared my address only?
An address alone is low risk, but stay alert for follow-up scam messages and never share codes, passwords, or card details in response.

Sources & further reading

The figures and guidance above draw on publicly available data and advice from fraud-prevention authorities. Always confirm current reporting details through official government sites.

Last reviewed June 2026 · Written & reviewed by the

Disclaimer: This page provides educational information only to help you recognise common scam patterns. It is not legal, financial, cybersecurity, or law enforcement advice, and it does not confirm whether any specific message, company, or person is genuine or fraudulent. When in doubt, contact the official organisation directly and report concerns to your local authorities.