Threat Deep Dive: Fake Delivery Fee Texts and How to Spot Them
Every Tuesday on CyberAware UK we take one scam type and look at it properly. This week it's the fake delivery message — the text or email saying a parcel couldn't be delivered and a small fee is needed before it goes back to the depot.
It's not new, but it keeps working because it lands in a completely normal situation: most of us order things online, and most of us have had a real delivery problem at some point.
How it works
The message looks like it comes from a well-known courier. There's a link. It opens a page that copies the courier's branding closely. Then you're asked for a small payment — often just a couple of pounds.
That small amount is the trick. It feels too minor to be risky. But the page is built to capture your card details, not to take a payment. The details are then used or sold.
What to do instead
Don't tap the link. Open the courier's own app or type their website address in yourself, and check there. If a parcel is genuinely waiting or a fee is genuinely due, it will show on your account. If there's nothing there, the message was fake.
If you've already entered card details, call the number on the back of your card straight away. Your bank can stop the card and check for payments you didn't make.
Report it
Forward scam texts to 7726 — that spells SPAM. It's free and helps the networks block these messages for everyone.
The one takeaway
Never pay a delivery fee through a link in a message. Always go through the courier's official app.
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