Parcel Delivery Scam Texts: How to Spot Them This Christmas (and What to Do If You Clicked)
27 October 2026 · By Ethan Fernandes
"We couldn't deliver your parcel" texts and emails peak before Christmas. How to tell a fake Royal Mail, Evri or DPD message from a real one, and exactly what to do if you've clicked or paid.
Quick answer
Delivery companies don't text you asking for a small fee to rebook a delivery, so don't tap the link. Check parcels in the courier's app or by typing their website yourself. Forward scam texts to 7726. If you entered card details, call your bank on 159 straight away and report it to Action Fraud.
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Get help todayIt's the busiest time of year for deliveries, and scammers know it. A text arrives saying "Royal Mail: your parcel could not be delivered due to an unpaid fee", or "Evri: we missed you today, reschedule your delivery here", or an email from "DPD" with a tracking link. When you're expecting several parcels, it's very easy to believe.
The short version: delivery companies don't text you asking for a small payment to rebook a delivery. Don't tap the link. Check any parcel by opening the courier's app or typing their website address yourself. Forward scam texts to 7726 and delete them. If you've entered card details, call your bank straight away on 159.
What These Scams Look Like
- "Unpaid fee" texts claiming you owe a small amount, often under £3, before a parcel can be delivered.
- "We missed you" messages asking you to reschedule through a link.
- "Address incomplete" messages asking you to confirm your address and details.
- Fake tracking emails copying the logos of Royal Mail, Evri, DPD, DHL, Yodel, UPS, Parcelforce or Amazon.
- iMessages from a foreign number or an email address asking you to reply "Y" so the link becomes clickable. Replying also tells the scammer your number is live.
The small fee is the trick. Nobody worries about £1.99, so people pay without thinking. But the page collects your full card details, and they're used for much larger payments, or for a follow-up call pretending to be your bank.
How to Tell a Fake from a Real One
- Look at the link, not the logo. Fake links use addresses like royalmail-redelivery-uk.com or a string of random letters. Real ones use the courier's own website.
- Were you expecting that courier? Shops tell you who's delivering in the order confirmation. If you didn't order anything from abroad, a "customs fee" is a red flag.
- Urgency such as "your parcel will be returned in 24 hours" is designed to stop you checking.
- It came from an ordinary mobile number. Couriers send texts from a name or a short code, not a random 07 number.
- When in doubt, check separately. Open the courier's app, or type their website address yourself, and enter the tracking number from the shop's email.
What to Do If You Clicked the Link
If you only opened the page
Close it. Simply visiting the page is unlikely to harm your phone. Don't enter anything, delete the message, and forward it to 7726 first if it was a text.
If you entered your name, address or phone number
Expect more scam calls and texts, sometimes using your real details to sound convincing. Be extra wary of anyone calling "from your bank" over the next few weeks.
If you entered card details or paid the fee
- Call your bank immediately on 159, or the number on the back of your card. Tell them what happened so they can block the card and watch for fraud.
- Check your statements for payments you don't recognise, including small test payments.
- Report it to Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting service (in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101).
- Change any password you typed in, and turn on two-step verification for that account.
Watch for the second call
A common follow-up is a call from someone claiming to be your bank's fraud team, saying your account is at risk and you need to move money to a "safe account". Your bank will never ask you to move money. Hang up and call 159 yourself, ideally from a different phone.
Other Christmas Scams to Watch For
- Fake shops advertised on social media with unbelievable prices on popular gifts.
- "Hi Mum" or "Hi Dad" messages on WhatsApp from a "new number" asking for money. See our guide to WhatsApp scams.
- Gift card requests: no genuine company or official asks to be paid in gift cards.
- Marketplace sellers asking you to pay outside the platform by bank transfer.
- Fake charity appeals by text or social media. Give through the charity's own website.
Protect Older Parents This Christmas
Older relatives are often targeted because they're expecting parcels from family. A few minutes of setup helps:
- On an iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn on the option that filters or screens unknown senders. On Android, turn on spam protection in the Messages app settings.
- Agree a simple rule: "Never pay for a delivery from a text. Call me first."
- Save 159 in their phone as "Bank (safe number)".
- Put the courier apps they actually use on their phone, so they can check parcels the safe way.
How We Handle It
If you're not sure whether a message is real, or you've already clicked, we can help remotely the same day. We check the message, secure your accounts and passwords, set up two-step verification and spam filtering, and make sure nothing has been installed. We also set up phones and tablets for parents so scam texts are filtered before they arrive. See our remote tech support and tech help for your parents.
Related Reading
Common questions
Royal Mail does not text you asking for a small payment to rebook a missed delivery. If a real fee is due, for example customs charges on a parcel from abroad, you'll usually get a grey Fee to Pay card. Check it on the Royal Mail website or app, never through a link in a text.
If you only opened the page, close it, delete the message and forward it to 7726. If you entered card details, call your bank on 159 straight away, check your statements and report it to Action Fraud. Be wary of follow-up calls claiming to be your bank.
Forward it to 7726, a free service run by the mobile networks, then delete it. On an iPhone you can also tap Report Junk. Report scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
iPhones disable links in messages from unknown senders. Replying Y re-enables the link, and confirms to the scammer that your number is active. Don't reply; delete it instead.
Couriers do send genuine delivery texts, but they don't ask for payment to reschedule. Check by opening the courier's app or typing their website address yourself and entering the tracking number from the shop's email.
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Most problems like this can be fixed remotely today, anywhere in the UK, or with a home visit across West London. DBS checked, insured, 7 days a week until 9pm.
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