DPD Scam Texts: Fake "Redelivery Fee" Messages Explained

Fake DPD texts are among the most commonly reported delivery scams in the UK. Criminals copy DPD's real "your driver is on the way" style messages so closely that even people who are genuinely expecting a parcel have been caught out.

The core rule is simple: DPD never asks for payment by text. If a message demands a fee to release or redeliver a parcel, it is a scam.

What fake DPD texts say

Typical wording reported to Action Fraud and 7726:

  • "DPD: Your parcel is on hold. Pay the £1.99 redelivery fee to arrange a new delivery slot."
  • "We tried to deliver your parcel but the address was incorrect. Confirm your details here."
  • "Your DPD parcel is waiting at the depot. Pay a storage fee before it is returned to sender."
  • "DPD: delivery failed — reschedule now to avoid a return fee."

Every version has the same shape: an unexpected problem, a small fee, a deadline, and a link.

How the scam works

  1. The text arrives from a random mobile number — not from a verified DPD sender.
  2. The link leads to a lookalike DPD website (example pattern: dpd-redelivery-uk.top, dpd-track-claim.net — real domains change constantly) that mimics the real tracking page.
  3. You enter your name, address and card details to "pay the fee".
  4. The criminals immediately use those card details for larger purchases — the £1.99 is only the hook.

The red flags

  1. It asks for a payment you weren't expecting. DPD does not collect "redelivery fees" or "storage fees" through links in text messages.
  2. The link is not dpd.co.uk. Genuine DPD tracking is on dpd.co.uk or in the DPD app.
  3. Urgency and deadlines. "Pay within 24 hours or your parcel is returned" is pressure, not policy.
  4. You're not expecting a parcel. If you've ordered nothing from a DPD-delivered retailer, it's a scam — full stop.
  5. It asks for card details, PINs or one-time codes. DPD never asks for these by text, and neither does any honest delivery company.

Typical example (illustrative wording, not a real message)

"DPD: Your parcel is awaiting delivery. Please pay the £1.99 redelivery fee to avoid your parcel being returned: http://dpd-parcel-hold.top/fee"

Why it's fake: it arrives from an ordinary mobile number, demands payment by text, pushes a lookalike domain, and creates a fake deadline. A real DPD update tells you your driver is en route with a tracking reference — it doesn't bill you mid-text.

What real DPD tracking looks like

When a sender gives DPD your mobile number, you can get genuine updates such as "your parcel is out for delivery" or "your driver is 2 stops away". Those updates direct you to dpd.co.uk or the DPD app to track — they do not ask you to pay a fee through a link.

If a delivery genuinely needs rearranging, you do it through the official tracking page or app — not by paying a stranger's link.

I clicked or paid — what now?

  1. Stop immediately. Close the page and don't enter any more details.
  2. If you entered card details, call your bank now using the number on the back of your card and ask them to block the card.
  3. If you paid, tell the bank it was an authorised push payment fraud — under the UK's APP fraud rules you may be reimbursed if you report quickly.
  4. Report it: Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
  5. Forward the text to 7726 (free) so your mobile network can block the sender.
  6. If a scam site is still live, you can also report it to the NCSC at [email protected].

The bottom line

DPD will never text you a link to pay a fee. Genuine tracking is free on dpd.co.uk or in the DPD app. Unexpected link + small fee + urgency = scam. When in doubt, track your parcel on the official site — never through the text.

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