📝 Show notes
CyberAware Daily — 2026-11-10
- Today's deep dive: fake delivery fee messages and how they work
- Why the small 'redelivery fee' is the hook
- The one safe habit: check the courier's official app, never a link in a message
- Already entered card details? Call the number on the back of your card straight away
- Report scam texts by forwarding them to 7726
More at https://cyberawareuk.co.uk
📄 Full transcript
Welcome back to Cyber Aware UK. It's Tuesday, so we're doing a threat deep dive, one scam type, looked at properly.
And today's one is close to home for a lot of people, fake delivery messages.
The texts and emails saying a parcel couldn't be delivered, or there's a small fee to pay before it goes back to the depot.
Why this one it feels like it's been around forever.
Because it still works, and it's adapted, it plays on something completely normal, nearly everyone orders things online.
So walk me through it, what does a typical one look like?
You get a message, often a text, saying there's a delivery issue, there's a link, it takes you to a page that looks exactly like a well-known courier's site.
And then it asks for a small payment, something like two pounds.
That's the trick, a fee small enough not to feel risky, but the page is capturing your card details, not taking a payment.
What happens after someone types their card in?
The details get used or sold. Sometimes the page then asks for more, or adds a subscription you never agreed to.
We also see these messages using the name of a real delivery firm, so the branding matches.
Exactly, which is why looking at the logo tells you nothing. You have to check the other way round, from the courier's own app or website.
So if someone gets one of these texts, the safe move is, don't tap the link, open the courier's app separately and check there.
And if there's genuinely a parcel waiting, that's where it will show. If the app says nothing, the text was fake.
What about people who have already clicked and entered details?
Call the card issuer straight away using the number on the back of the card. They can stop the card and check for any payments.
One more thing to pass on. These messages are easy to report. Forward the text to 7726, which spells out spam.
And on the wider picture today, there's a reminder that a lot of this comes through the same old pipes, messages that look routine.
I think the takeaway is simple. Never pay a delivery fee from a link in a message.
That's it. Go through the courier's official app every time. Take care and we'll see you tomorrow.