Is that 'missed delivery' text a scam? Royal Mail, DPD and Evri fakes
Almost everyone in the UK has had one of these: a text saying your parcel could not be delivered, there is a small fee to pay, or your address needs confirming, with a link to sort it out. Most of them are fake. Here is how to tell, and what to do.
How the scam works
The text takes you to a website that looks like Royal Mail, DPD, Evri or another courier. It asks for a small “redelivery” or “customs” fee, usually a pound or two, and then for your card details to pay it. The tiny fee is not the point. The scammers are after your card number, and sometimes they follow up with a phone call pretending to be your bank, to talk you into moving money “to keep it safe”.
The tell-tale signs
- It asks you to pay a fee through a link in a text. Real couriers do not chase small fees this way.
- The link goes to a lookalike address, often with extra words or an odd ending, not the courier’s real website.
- It creates urgency: pay today or the parcel goes back.
- The sender is a random mobile number or an email address, not the company.
- You were not expecting a parcel, or not from that courier.
What real couriers actually do
Genuine couriers leave a card, email, or in-app notification, and any fees are handled on their official website or app, not through a surprise text link. If there is ever a real customs charge, it comes through a proper, traceable process, not a £1.99 text.
The safe rule: never tap the link in a delivery text. If you are expecting something, open the courier's official app or type their website address yourself and track the parcel there.
What to do with one
- Do not tap the link and do not enter any details.
- Forward the text to 7726 (it spells “SPAM” on the keypad). This reports it to your mobile network for free.
- Delete the message.
If you already entered your card details
Act now, do not wait to see if anything happens. Call your bank straight away. The quickest safe way is to dial 159, which connects you to your bank’s fraud team. Then follow the steps in our guide on what to do if you’ve been scammed, and be ready to ignore any “bank” that phones you afterwards, because that call is part of the same scam.
More help in our scams and fraud section.