High riskDelivery

India Post Text Scam

This scam sends a fake India Post text about a missed delivery, incomplete address, or small fee, linking to a page that collects your card and personal details.

Quick verdict

Risk level
High risk
Scam type
Delivery impersonation (smishing)
Main red flag
An unexpected India Post text asking you to update an address or pay a fee via a link.
What to do first
Do not click. Check any delivery through India Post's official website or app.

How this scam works

This scam sends a fake India Post text about a missed delivery, incomplete address, or small fee, linking to a page that collects your card and personal details.

Delivery scams (a form of smishing) impersonate couriers with a believable small problem, an unpaid fee, a wrong address, a held parcel, timed to arrive when you might be expecting something. The link leads to a cloned courier site that harvests your card details and a bank one-time code.

In short, the giveaway is usually simple: An unexpected India Post text asking you to update an address or pay a fee via a link. Do not click. Check any delivery through India Post's official website or app.

Scammers rotate tactics constantly, the same operation may also run the Poste Italiane Text Scam and the PostNL Text Scam. See the full Delivery & Postal Scams guides hub, or test a suspicious message with the scam checker.

How to spot this scam

  • A delivery text when you may not be expecting a parcel
  • A request to update an address or pay a small fee via a link
  • A link that is not the official India Post domain
  • Urgent wording about the parcel being returned
  • A request for card or personal details

What the message looks like

Example pattern, not a real report
Example pattern: 'India Post: Your parcel is held due to an incomplete address. Update your details to arrange delivery: [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 gives it away: An unexpected India Post text asking you to update an address or pay a fee via a link.

The scale of it

#2
fake package-delivery texts were the second most-reported text scam in 2022
Source: US Federal Trade Commission
$330M
reported lost to text-message scams in the US in 2022
Source: US Federal Trade Commission

How to protect yourself

  • Check tracking through India Post's official website or app
  • Report the scam text through official channels
  • Verify any genuine charge directly with the sender
  • Delete the message and block the sender

Already responded? Do this now

  • Do not enter card or personal details on the page
  • If you paid, contact your bank to flag or freeze the card
  • Change passwords for any reused login
  • Watch your statements for unexpected charges

Mistakes to avoid

  • Do not click the link or enter details
  • Do not reply to the message
  • Do not install any app the link suggests

Related scams to know

High risk Delivery

Poste Italiane Text Scam

This scam sends a fake Poste Italiane text about a held parcel, address problem, or small fee, linking to a page that harvests your card and personal information.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Delivery

PostNL Text Scam

This scam sends a fake PostNL text about a missed delivery, address issue, or small fee, linking to a page that collects your card and personal details.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
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

Common questions

Does India Post ask for fees or details by text link?
Genuine redelivery is normally arranged free, and any real charge can be confirmed through India Post's official website. A fee or detail request via a text link is a common scam.
The text mentions my address. Is it genuine?
Scam texts use generic address-problem wording to seem real. Check tracking on the official app or site rather than the link.
How do I report it?
Report the message through India Post's official channels, forward it to your mobile provider's spam service if available, and delete it.
I entered my card details. What now?
Contact your bank right away to flag or freeze the card and watch for unexpected charges.

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.