Is a text saying I owe an unpaid customs fee on a parcel real?
Probably not. Fake customs-fee texts are a widely used phishing method that impersonates national postal services or border agencies.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
Customs-fee smishing texts claim that a parcel you have ordered is being held because a small import duty or customs handling fee is outstanding. The link leads to a professional-looking fake page that captures your card details. While genuine customs charges do occur on international orders, official notifications arrive through the postal carrier's tracking system, official letters, or the carrier's verified app — not via a text with a payment link. Even if you have recently ordered something from abroad, verify any customs charge directly through the carrier's official website or the postal service's official platform before paying anything.
The deliberately small fee is the tell that repays attention. It is set low enough that paying feels easier than investigating — but the card details entered to pay it are the actual objective, and they are typically used or sold for much larger fraud within days. Some victims also receive a follow-up call from a fake bank 'fraud team' referencing the customs payment they just made, using the scam's own transaction as proof of credibility for a second, bigger scam.
International shopping makes the lure plausible, so anchor on how genuine customs handling actually works: charges appear against a specific tracked consignment, are visible when you enter your tracking number on the carrier's own site, and are payable through that same official channel. If the charge is real, you will find it there; if it exists only in a text message, it never existed at all.
Common red flags
- Text from an unfamiliar number mentioning a parcel customs fee
- Link in the text leads to a site that isn't the official postal service domain
- Urgency — parcel will be returned if not paid within 24 hours
- Fee amount is oddly specific (e.g., £1.49 or $2.99)
- No parcel tracking number you can independently verify
What to do now
- Do not click the link — go to the carrier's official website or app directly
- Check your actual order tracking using the carrier's official service
- Report the smishing text to 7726 (UK and US) or your national reporting service
- Delete the message
Frequently asked questions
How are real customs fees collected?
Genuine customs charges are typically shown in the carrier's tracking portal or notified by official letter. Your carrier will also have the charge visible in your account. They do not collect via unsolicited text links.
I paid the small fee — is losing a couple of pounds the end of it?
Unfortunately not. The fee was bait; the card details you entered are the prize. Contact your bank now, ask for the card to be replaced, and watch for follow-up calls claiming to be your bank's fraud team — they are usually the same criminals.