Fake Delivery Texts in Canada
How SMS smishing campaigns impersonating Canada Post and major couriers deceive Canadian recipients into handing over card details and personal information.
Part of: Fake Delivery Texts
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Canadians receive tens of millions of parcel deliveries each year, and fraudsters exploit delivery anticipation with SMS messages that impersonate Canada Post, FedEx, Purolator, and UPS. These smishing texts claim a parcel is held pending a small customs fee or address confirmation — and any link leads to a convincing fake site designed to harvest credit card details.
This guide covers how these campaigns look specifically in Canada — the brands impersonated, the payment methods requested, and the Canadian reporting resources available.
How this scam works on Canada
A typical text reads something like: 'Canada Post: Your parcel is on hold due to an unpaid customs fee of $3.49. Confirm delivery at: [link].' The link leads to a near-identical copy of the Canada Post or courier website, complete with a package-tracking widget showing a realistic tracking number.
The final page requests a credit or debit card number to pay the 'fee.' The amount is kept small to reduce resistance, but the real goal is to harvest the full card number, expiry, and CVV — which are then sold or used for larger fraudulent charges. Some variants also collect the victim's home address and phone number to enable follow-up fraud or SIM-swap attacks.
Common red flags
- Unexpected SMS about a parcel you do not recall ordering
- Link in the text does not match the official Canada Post or courier domain
- Request for card payment of a small fee to release a package
- Page that asks for full card details including CVV for a minor customs charge
- Urgency claiming parcel will be returned if fee not paid within 24 hours
How to protect yourself
- Track parcels only through the official Canada Post website (canadapost-postescanada.ca) or the courier's verified app
- Never click delivery links in SMS — go directly to the official site and enter your tracking number
- Canada Post does not typically send unsolicited SMS payment requests; treat all such texts as suspect
- Use a virtual card number for online shopping to limit exposure from harvested details
- Enable transaction alerts on your credit card to spot fraudulent charges quickly
How to report it
- Report smishing texts to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at antifraudcentre.ca or 1-888-495-8501
- Forward the suspicious text to 7726 (SPAM) — a free service that alerts carriers
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately if you entered payment details
Frequently asked questions
Does Canada Post ever send payment requests by SMS?
Canada Post may send delivery notifications via SMS if you have signed up for alerts, but it does not request payment through SMS links. Any SMS asking for card payment to release a parcel should be treated as fraudulent.