DHL Scam Texts: Redelivery and Customs Fee Cons Explained

Fake DHL texts usually come in two flavours: the "redelivery fee" con and the "customs charge" con. Both are among the most commonly reported delivery scams in the UK, and both rely on the same trick — a genuine-sounding problem, a fee, and a link.

The version that catches the most people is the customs one, because import charges are real. When you order from abroad you can genuinely owe money before a parcel is released — which is exactly why scammers use it. But DHL never asks you to pay by a link in a text message.

What fake DHL texts say

Typical wording reported by victims:

  • "DHL: your parcel is being held at customs. Pay the £2.99 release fee to complete delivery."
  • "DHL Express: redelivery of your parcel requires a £1.99 fee. Arrange a new slot here."
  • "Your DHL shipment could not be delivered. Confirm your address and pay a small fee."
  • "DHL: customs charges outstanding. Pay now to avoid your parcel being returned."

Why the customs angle works

Import duties and customs charges genuinely exist on goods coming into the UK from abroad. So a text about "customs charges" feels plausible if you're waiting for an international order. The scam adds one fatal detail: it asks for your card details in a texted link to "release the parcel". Legitimate customs or carrier charges are handled through official portals and tracked deliveries — never by texting your card number into a random page.

The red flags

  1. Payment demanded through a text link. DHL doesn't collect customs or redelivery fees that way.
  2. The link is not dhl.co.uk. Genuine tracking is on dhl.co.uk or in the DHL app.
  3. It asks for card details, a PIN or a one-time code. No courier ever needs those by text — customs brokers included.
  4. You're not expecting an international parcel. If you haven't ordered from abroad, any "customs" text is nonsense.
  5. Pressure and deadlines. "Pay in 12 hours or the parcel is destroyed/returned" is a scammer's script, not courier policy.

Typical example (illustrative wording, not a real message)

"DHL: Your parcel #DHL5843 is held in customs. Pay the outstanding £2.99 customs fee to release it for delivery: http://dhl-customs-release.top/pay"

Why it's fake: it demands card payment through a texted lookalike link, invents a tracking number, and pressures you with a held parcel. Real DHL updates direct you to dhl.co.uk or the app — they never bill you through an SMS link.

What genuine DHL messages look like

If a sender books a shipment with your number or email, DHL can send genuine notifications — "shipment picked up", "out for delivery" — that point you to dhl.co.uk or the DHL app to track. Where customs charges are genuinely due on a shipment, the payment journey runs through official DHL systems, not a texted link demanding your card.

I clicked or paid — what now?

  1. Stop. Don't enter more details or send the "verification code" the page may ask for next.
  2. Card details entered? Call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card and block it.
  3. Paid? Tell your bank it was fraud straight away — under the APP fraud rules fast reporting matters.
  4. Report to Action Fraud: actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
  5. Forward the text to 7726 (free) so your network can block the sender.
  6. Report the phishing link to the NCSC at [email protected].

The bottom line

DHL will never text you a link to pay a customs or redelivery fee — and never asks for card details in a message. Real customs charges exist, but they are never collected through an SMS link. Track only on dhl.co.uk or the DHL app, and treat any texted fee as a scam until you've verified it there.

Suspicious of another message? Use the free CyberAware UK Scam Checker or see more common UK scams.