Is a text about a failed delivery attempt a scam?
It may be. Smishing texts imitating couriers like UPS, FedEx, DHL, or Royal Mail are extremely common and often lead to credential or card-detail theft.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
Parcel-delivery smishing texts typically claim that a delivery failed and ask you to click a link to reschedule or pay a small redelivery fee. The link leads to a convincing fake site that harvests your name, address, card number, or account login. Because so many people are genuinely waiting for deliveries, these texts have a high success rate. Legitimate couriers do send delivery notifications, but they will never ask for card payment via an SMS link for a redelivery fee that wasn't agreed at purchase. If you are expecting a parcel, track it directly through the carrier's official website or app by typing the address manually.
What makes these texts effective is the follow-up. Entering card details on the fake page often does more than lose you a small fee — it hands over everything needed for card-not-present fraud, and in many cases it is followed within days by a phone call from a fake bank fraud team who reference the payment you just made to sound credible. The small initial charge is bait; the real losses usually come later.
A reliable habit protects you here: treat every delivery text as unverified until you have checked the tracking reference yourself on the carrier's official site or app. If the message contains no tracking number you can independently confirm, or mentions a fee that was never part of your original purchase, there is nothing legitimate in it to act on.
Common red flags
- Text from an unknown number about a missed delivery
- Link in the text that doesn't match the official carrier domain
- Request for a small fee — often under £2 or $2 — by card
- Vague sender name such as 'Parcel', 'Post', or 'Delivery'
- No specific parcel reference number or it matches nothing you ordered
What to do now
- Do not click the link
- Go directly to the courier's official website or app to track any real parcel
- Report the text to your national spam-reporting service (e.g., 7726 in the UK or US)
- Delete the message
Frequently asked questions
What if I already clicked the link?
Change passwords for any accounts you logged into via the link, contact your bank if you entered card details, and run a security scan on your device.
How do scammers know I'm expecting a delivery?
Usually they don't. These texts are sent in bulk to enormous lists of phone numbers, and enough recipients happen to be waiting for a parcel that the scam pays off. Receiving one does not mean a retailer leaked your data.