What is a courier parcel scam?
A courier parcel scam mimics delivery notifications from major logistics companies to trick recipients into paying fake customs fees, releasing personal information, or clicking malicious links.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Parcel delivery notification scams align closely with actual shopping and delivery behaviour — everyone orders things online, and receiving a delivery update by text or email is entirely normal. Criminals exploit this familiarity by sending messages indistinguishable in format from those sent by DHL, Royal Mail, FedEx, UPS, or local national postal services.
The most common pretext is a small fee: a customs charge, a delivery surcharge, a storage fee for a parcel held at a depot. The fee is small — often under £5 or $5 — precisely because a small amount feels low-risk and easy to pay without scrutiny. The link leads to a convincing fake payment page that harvests full card details, enabling subsequent fraudulent charges far larger than the stated fee.
Other variants attempt to harvest credentials by redirecting to a fake account login page for the delivery service, or deliver malware through a fake tracking app download.
If you receive an unexpected delivery notification, navigate directly to the carrier's official website or app to check for any genuine delivery issues. Do not use any link, phone number, or contact detail provided in the suspicious message.
Common red flags
- An unexpected text or email requesting payment of a customs or delivery fee via a link
- A link in the message goes to a domain different from the carrier's official website
- You are not currently expecting a delivery but receive a notification about a held parcel
- The fee requested is unusually small, making it feel safe to pay without checking
- The message asks you to download a tracking app from an unfamiliar source
What to do now
- Do not click the link — go directly to the carrier's official website to check for genuine issues
- Report smishing texts to 7726 (UK) or the FTC (US)
- If you entered card details, contact your bank immediately to report potential fraud
- Block the sender and delete the message
- Check your statements for any unauthorised charges in the days following
Frequently asked questions
How do scammers know I might be expecting a delivery?
Usually they do not. The messages are sent in bulk to millions of numbers. A small percentage of recipients will happen to be expecting a delivery at the time, which is enough for the scam to be profitable. The specificity is an illusion.
Would a real carrier ever charge me for customs via a text link?
Legitimate customs charges do exist for international deliveries, but carriers handle them either before delivery, at the door on delivery, or through clearly official notification processes. Legitimate notifications will always direct you to the carrier's own authenticated app or website.