Real Courier Missed-Delivery Card vs Fake Delivery Text
How to distinguish a genuine missed-delivery card or notification from a fraudulent message designed to harvest your card details or install malware.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Missed deliveries happen constantly and the genuine version is dull. A card comes through the door, or the courier's own app shows an update against a tracking number for a parcel you were expecting, and rearranging costs nothing for a standard domestic item. The fake version works on volume and timing. A text arrives saying a parcel could not be delivered and a small fee is needed to release it, and because most people have something on the way at any given moment it lands plausibly. The amount is deliberately trivial, small enough that querying it feels like more effort than paying. What is actually being collected is your card number, expiry and security code. Standard redelivery from a major courier is free, so any fee request is the tell.
Side-by-side comparison
| Genuine missed-delivery notice | Fake delivery text or email | |
|---|---|---|
| How notice is delivered | Physical card left at the door, or a notification through the courier's own official app linked to a real tracking number you recognise | Unsolicited text or email containing a link, often with no tracking number or a vague reference code |
| Redelivery fee | Major couriers (Royal Mail, DPD, UPS, FedEx) do not charge redelivery fees for standard domestic parcels | Claims a small fee (often £1.99–£2.99) is required to release or redeliver your parcel — designed to capture card details |
| Tracking number | Physical card or official app notification shows a tracking number you can verify on the courier's own website directly | No tracking number, or a generic reference code that returns no result on the courier's real website |
| Link destination | Any link in a genuine notification goes to the courier's primary domain (e.g. royalmail.com, dpd.co.uk) | Link goes to a domain mimicking the courier (e.g. royal-mail-delivery.com) registered recently and unrelated to the real company |
| Personal details requested | Redelivery rescheduling only requires confirming your address and a preferred date — no payment card required | Payment page asks for full card number, expiry, CVV, and sometimes billing address or phone number |
Common red flags
- Text or email requests any payment to redeliver a standard domestic parcel
- Link domain is not the courier's well-known primary website domain
- You are not expecting a parcel or the sender is unrecognisable
- Message contains spelling errors or generic language ('a parcel is waiting for you') with no specific sender name
- Page reached via the link asks for full card details
Verification steps
- Go directly to the courier's official website by typing the URL — search for the tracking number provided on the card or in the official app
- Call the courier's official customer service line (from their website) if you are unsure about any notification
- Check whether you are actually expecting a parcel from the sender before acting on any delivery notice
What not to do
- Do not click links in unsolicited texts or emails about unrecognised parcels
- Do not enter payment card details on any page reached through a delivery notification link
- Do not call phone numbers listed in a suspicious delivery text — look up the courier's official number independently
A safe response
Do not tap the link. Close the message and check the parcel yourself: open the courier's app, or type their website address and enter the tracking number from the confirmation the retailer sent you. If nothing matches, there was no parcel. In the UK you can forward the text to 7726 free of charge; in the US you can report it to the FTC. If you have already entered card details, call your bank using the number on the back of the card, ask them to cancel it and issue a replacement, and watch for small test transactions as well as large ones. Being caught by one of these is extremely common.
Frequently asked questions
I clicked the link but did not enter anything, am I at risk?
In most cases opening the page alone does little, and the bigger risk is that entering details later feels reasonable because you have already engaged. Close the tab, do not return to it, and do not install anything it prompted you to install. If you were asked to download an app or file and did so, remove it and run a security scan on the device. Keep an eye on your accounts for a while, and delete the message so you do not tap it again by mistake.
Is it ever legitimate for a courier to charge a redelivery fee?
Standard domestic redeliveries from major couriers are free. Customs fees or import duties on international parcels can be legitimately charged, but these are handled through official channels — not via a payment link in an unexpected text.
I entered my card details before realising it was a scam — what now?
Contact your bank or card provider immediately to report potential fraud and request a card cancellation. Monitor your account for any unauthorised transactions and consider placing a fraud alert with credit agencies.