Fake Royal Mail Tracking Number Phishing Scam
Criminals send emails and texts containing fabricated Royal Mail tracking numbers linking to phishing sites that harvest card details under the guise of resolving a delivery issue. Any Royal Mail tracking number can be verified free at royalmail.com/track-your-item.
Part of: Fake Tracking Number Scams
Last reviewed: 7 June 2026
Royal Mail's tracked services — Royal Mail Tracked 24, Tracked 48, Special Delivery — assign specific tracking numbers to each item, and customers routinely receive email or SMS updates from Royal Mail as their parcel moves through the network. Criminals exploit this expectation by fabricating tracking numbers and pairing them with urgent delivery-issue messages.
The fake tracking number adds specificity that makes the message feel personal and legitimate. A recipient who is expecting a parcel may assume the number corresponds to their shipment and click the link before stopping to verify.
The verification step is simple and free: go directly to royalmail.com/track-your-item and enter the number. If it resolves to a real tracked item in the Royal Mail system, monitor it through that portal only. If it returns no result, the message is fraudulent.
How this scam works on the Royal Mail brand
Emails carry a subject line such as 'Royal Mail: Your parcel [tracking reference] requires your attention' and describe a delivery exception — address query, customs hold, or storage fee. The body contains a 'Track and Resolve' link leading to a phishing page.
Real Royal Mail tracking emails arrive from @royalmail.com addresses and link directly to royalmail.com. They do not ask for card payments or login credentials via an email link — any genuine redelivery or collection action is handled through the Royal Mail website after you log in.
SMS variants use the standard Royal Mail tracking number format (a 13-character alphanumeric code beginning with two letters and ending 'GB') to appear plausible. Many fabricated numbers follow this format but return no tracking result at the real Royal Mail site.
Common red flags
- Tracking number returns no result or wrong information at royalmail.com
- Email or text link goes to a non-royalmail.com domain
- Message requests card payment to resolve a tracking issue
- Email comes from a [email protected] address
- Tracking number format is incorrect for the claimed Royal Mail service
- Urgency: 'item returned if issue not resolved within 48 hours'
- Page asks for full card details to 'confirm delivery preferences'
How to protect yourself
- Verify every Royal Mail tracking number at royalmail.com/track-your-item before taking any action
- Log in to your Royal Mail account to see all items associated with your address
- Forward suspicious emails to the NCSC at report.ncsc.gov.uk
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726
- If card details were provided, contact your bank immediately
How to report it
- Forward smishing texts to 7726
- Report phishing emails to the NCSC at report.ncsc.gov.uk
- Report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk
- Alert Royal Mail via royalmail.com/help/scam-mail
- If payment was made, contact your bank's fraud team
Frequently asked questions
What does a real Royal Mail tracking number look like?
Royal Mail tracked item references are typically 13 alphanumeric characters beginning with two uppercase letters and ending 'GB' (for example, AB123456789GB). Special Delivery numbers begin 'SD' or similar service codes.
Does Royal Mail charge a fee to resolve a tracking issue?
No. Genuine tracking queries are resolved through royalmail.com at no charge. Any message claiming a fee is needed to fix a tracking issue is fraudulent.