Fake Package Tracking Update Scam
Fraudulent tracking notification emails or texts mimic real courier updates and lead to fake 'address correction' or 'delivery exception' pages designed to steal payment details.
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
What this scam is
This scam impersonates the routine automated tracking update emails and texts that couriers and postal services send throughout a parcel's journey. Because these notifications are a normal, expected part of online shopping, a fake one claiming a 'delivery exception', 'address issue', or 'customs hold' blends in easily among the many genuine tracking emails a typical online shopper receives.
The fake update includes a link that leads to a page asking the recipient to 'confirm' their details or pay a small fee to correct an issue with the delivery. Unlike a one-off phishing attempt, this scam often specifically targets people during high-volume shopping periods, when they are juggling many simultaneous shipments and are less likely to scrutinise any individual notification closely.
The ultimate goal is to harvest personal information and payment card details, which are then used for fraudulent purchases, sold to other criminals, or used to build a more complete identity profile for further targeting.
How it works
The scam begins with an email or text styled to resemble a genuine courier tracking update, often including a real-looking tracking number, courier branding, and a status message describing a 'delivery exception', such as an incomplete address, a customs issue, or a failed scan at a sorting facility.
The message instructs the recipient to click a link to 'resolve' the issue, which leads to a fake page requesting personal details such as full name, address, date of birth, and payment card information, ostensibly to cover a correction or redelivery fee. Some versions ask only for personal information with no fee, aiming purely at identity theft or building a data profile to sell.
Because the amount requested, if any, is small and the scenario plausible, victims often do not realise anything is wrong until they notice unusual account activity or receive further scam contact using the information they provided. In more sophisticated versions, the fake site installs tracking cookies or prompts a malicious app download disguised as a 'delivery tracking' tool.
Why this scam works
The scam succeeds because tracking update emails are a genuinely routine and expected part of modern online shopping, arriving frequently enough that people develop a habit of clicking through them without close scrutiny. During busy shopping periods, the volume of legitimate notifications makes any single fake one far less likely to stand out.
The request for personal or payment details is framed as a minor administrative step needed to keep a shipment moving, which feels far less alarming than an overt request for financial information, lowering the victim's guard considerably.
A typical pattern
A person who recently placed several online orders receives an email that appears to be an automated tracking update, stating that their parcel has encountered a delivery exception and that they must click a link to confirm their address or reschedule delivery. The layout closely mimics familiar tracking notification emails, including a tracking number and progress bar graphic. The recipient clicks the link, which opens a page requesting their name, address, and a card number to cover a small address-correction fee. Believing this is simply part of resolving a shipping hiccup, they comply. Weeks later they notice several unfamiliar small charges on their card, spaced out to avoid detection, and only after contacting their bank do they realise the tracking update was never sent by any courier they actually used.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited tracking update claims a 'delivery exception' or 'address issue'
- The message asks you to click a link to resolve the issue rather than check the courier's own app
- You are asked for payment card details to 'correct' an address or reschedule delivery
- The tracking number does not match any order you can find in your own account
- The sender's email address has a subtly misspelled or unofficial domain
- The message pressures you to act immediately to avoid cancellation or return of the parcel
- You are prompted to download an app to 'track' the parcel more easily
Sanitized example messages
Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].
Delivery exception: we were unable to verify your address for parcel [tracking number]. Confirm details here: [link]
Your package requires an address correction fee of [amount] before it can continue shipping.
Action needed: your parcel has been held due to an incomplete delivery profile. Update now: [link]
Download our tracking app for real-time updates on your delayed shipment: [link]
Common variations
- Fake SMS version instead of email, styled as a courier tracking alert
- Message claims a 'delivery exception' requiring identity verification with no fee at all, aimed purely at data theft
- Fake tracking page prompts download of a malicious 'package tracker' app
- Scam impersonates a specific well-known courier's exact tracking email template
- Message claims the parcel will be auto-cancelled unless the recipient 'confirms' payment details
How to verify before you act
Do not click links inside tracking update emails or texts. Instead, open the courier or retailer's official app or website directly and enter your tracking number there to check the parcel's real status. Compare the tracking number in the suspicious message against the one provided in your original order confirmation from the retailer.
If an email claims urgent action is needed, check the sender's actual email address carefully for subtle misspellings or unusual domains, and contact the courier's official customer service using contact details found independently rather than from the message itself.
Payment methods used
- Cryptocurrency
- Bank/wire transfer
- Gift cards
- Money transfer services
- Payment apps to 'friends & family'
Who is usually targeted
- Frequent online shoppers with multiple simultaneous shipments
- People shopping during high-volume periods such as major sales events
- Anyone whose email address has been exposed in previous data breaches
What to do immediately
- Do not click the link; verify tracking directly on the courier's official site or app
- If you entered payment details, contact your card issuer immediately to flag potential fraud
- If you entered personal details only, monitor for signs of identity theft such as unfamiliar accounts opened in your name
- Delete any app downloaded through the fake message and run a security scan on your device
- Report the email or text as phishing to your email provider or mobile carrier
- Change passwords for any accounts where you may have reused the same login details
How to prevent it
- Always check parcel tracking directly on the courier or retailer's official site or app, never via an email link
- Compare tracking numbers in suspicious messages against your actual order confirmations
- Inspect sender email addresses closely for spoofed or misspelled domains
- Avoid entering payment or personal details on any page reached via an unsolicited tracking link
- Keep courier and retailer apps updated and use them as your primary tracking method
- Use email spam filtering and report suspicious tracking emails as phishing
- Be extra cautious during high-volume shopping periods when scam volume increases
Evidence to preserve
- The original email or text, including full headers if possible
- Screenshots of the fake tracking or payment page
- The tracking number used in the scam message compared with your genuine order
- Bank or card statements showing any disputed charges
- Any app installation details if a malicious app was downloaded
Where to report it
- Action Fraud (UK) — UK national fraud & cybercrime reporting centre
- FTC ReportFraud (US) — US Federal Trade Commission fraud reports
- FBI IC3 (US) — US Internet Crime Complaint Center
- Scamwatch (Australia) — Australian competition & consumer reporting
- Your bank's fraud line — Use the number on the back of your card or in your banking app — never a number the caller gives you
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell a fake tracking update from a real one?
Check the tracking number against your actual order confirmation from the retailer, and always verify status directly through the courier or retailer's official app or website rather than clicking a link in the message. Genuine couriers rarely ask for payment or personal details to resolve a routine tracking issue.
I clicked the link and entered my details — what should I do now?
If you entered payment card details, contact your card issuer immediately to flag the transaction and monitor for fraud. If you entered personal information such as your address or date of birth, watch for signs of identity theft and consider placing a fraud alert with a credit reference agency.
Why do fake tracking emails feel so convincing?
They closely mimic the design and language of real courier notifications, which people receive frequently and often click through without close scrutiny. The routine, low-stakes framing of a 'delivery exception' makes the request for details feel like an ordinary administrative step rather than a financial risk.