Real Freight Company vs Fake Shipping-Fee Scam
How to tell a genuine freight or courier request from a fraudulent message demanding unexpected customs fees or release payments before your package can be delivered.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Most parcel notifications are exactly what they appear to be. Couriers text and email constantly, and genuine customs duty on an overseas order is a normal charge that has to be settled before an item is released. That ordinary background is what makes the fake version work. A message arrives saying a small fee is outstanding, and because you are probably waiting on something, the claim fits. The amount is tiny, the branding is copied from a well known courier such as DHL, FedEx, or a national postal service, and the page it opens looks identical to the real one. The distinction that matters most is where the link goes. A genuine courier page sits on the courier's own domain and the tracking number resolves there. A fraudulent one lives elsewhere, and the fee is only a pretext for capturing your card.
Side-by-side comparison
| Real freight / courier company | Fake shipping-fee scam | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact method | Notifications sent to the email or phone number you provided at checkout; tracking link matches courier's official domain | Unsolicited SMS or email with no connection to a recent order; link goes to a non-official domain |
| Fee request | Genuine customs and duty charges are calculated at checkout or invoiced formally; courier sends an advance duty notice with full breakdown | Vague 'small fee' or 'customs clearance charge' with no itemisation; must be paid immediately or parcel returned |
| Payment page URL | Hosted on the courier's verified domain (e.g., dhl.com); uses recognised payment processor | Domain slightly misspelled or on a generic hosting URL; payment page may look identical to the real one |
| Tracking number | Tracking number resolves on the courier's real website | Tracking number invalid or resolves on a cloned site that shows fake progress |
| Amount requested | Genuine duty amounts are proportionate to the declared parcel value | Always a small, plausible amount such as £1.99 or $3.50 designed to seem not worth questioning |
| Urgency | Clear delivery window; parcel held for a reasonable period with formal notification | 'Pay within 24 hours or parcel will be destroyed or returned'; no actual parcel in transit |
Common red flags
- SMS or email about a parcel you were not expecting or have no tracking number for
- Fee payment link goes to a domain that is not the courier's official website
- Urgency claim that the parcel will be destroyed or returned today
- Payment page requests full card details including CVV for a small fee
- Tracking number does not resolve on the courier's real website
Verification steps
- Go directly to the courier's official website (type the URL yourself) and enter the tracking number there
- Compare the sender domain in any email against the courier's real domain — fraudulent domains often swap letters or add words
- If you genuinely owe customs duty, your national customs authority will send formal paperwork, not an SMS link
What not to do
- Do not click payment links in unsolicited courier SMS messages
- Do not enter card details on a payment page you reached via a link in a text
- Do not assume a small fee is safe to pay without verifying the site is genuine
A safe response
Do not follow the link. Close the message and open the courier's site yourself by typing the address, or use their own app, then enter the tracking number there. If nothing is in transit, there is nothing to pay. If someone is pressing you by phone about a held parcel, it is fine to say you will check through the official site, then hang up. If you have already entered card details, ring your bank on the number printed on the back of your card, ask them to block it and issue a replacement, and watch for small test charges. Report the message to your national fraud reporting service. Acting quickly matters more than acting perfectly.
Frequently asked questions
I already paid the fee. Can I get the money back?
It depends on how you paid and how quickly you report it. Card payments give you the strongest position, because your bank can attempt a chargeback and cancel the card before any further attempts are made. Contact them the same day if you can. Bank transfers are harder to recover but should still be reported straight away. Your bank decides the outcome, not the sender, so do not wait for a reply from them.
I entered my card number but the payment failed. Am I safe?
Not necessarily. The page may have captured your card details even if the transaction appeared to fail. Contact your bank to report the incident and consider requesting a replacement card.
Are there ever genuine customs fees payable by SMS link?
Some couriers do send SMS notifications with payment links for genuine duty, but these should resolve on the courier's official verified domain. When in doubt, check by typing the domain directly rather than following the link.