Real Parcel Notification vs Fake Parcel SMS
How to tell a genuine delivery update from a fraudulent text message designed to harvest your card details or install malware.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Courier texts are ordinary. Most people get several a week and they are almost always real: a delivery window, a driver's name, a card left at the door. Fake delivery texts succeed because of that volume, and because almost everybody has something in transit, so a message about a parcel rarely feels out of place. The familiar version asks for a small redelivery or customs fee, an amount low enough that paying feels easier than investigating, and it arrives at an hour when you are busy. The distinction that matters most is not the wording but the route to payment. A genuine courier sends you to its own site or app, where any real charge already sits against your tracking number. A fraudulent link leads to a page whose actual purpose is capturing your card details.
Side-by-side comparison
| Genuine parcel delivery notification | Fake parcel / delivery text (smishing) | |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | You are expecting a parcel; message arrival matches a real shipment timeline | Arrives when you are not expecting any delivery; sometimes sent in bulk regardless of recipient |
| Fee request | Real couriers rarely ask for a fee via SMS; customs costs are settled at the door or online through the courier portal | Requests a small fee (often a few pounds or dollars) via a link in the message |
| Link destination | Any link goes to the courier official domain (e.g. royalmail.com, ups.com, fedex.com) | Link goes to a lookalike domain or URL shortener that hides the real destination |
| Sender ID | Displays the courier brand name as sender ID (though IDs can be spoofed) | Random mobile number or a sender ID that nearly matches the real brand |
| Tracking reference | Includes your actual tracking number that works on the courier website | Tracking reference is missing, generic, or does not resolve on the real courier site |
| Personal data requested | Never asks for full card details via SMS; directs to secure courier portal for payment | Landing page asks for card number, expiry, CVV, and sometimes name and address |
Common red flags
- SMS asks you to pay a fee via a link before delivery can proceed
- Link destination is not the official courier domain
- No tracking number, or the tracking number does not work on the real courier website
- You are not expecting a parcel from anyone
- Landing page requests full card details including CVV
Verification steps
- Do not click the link — go directly to the courier website by typing the URL yourself
- Use the tracking number from your original order confirmation email on the real courier site
- If a customs fee is genuinely owed, the courier will provide payment options through their official portal
- Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (UK) to report them to your mobile provider
What not to do
- Do not click links in unexpected parcel texts
- Do not enter card details on any page reached from an SMS link
- Do not call the number listed in a suspicious delivery text
A safe response
Do not tap the link. Find the tracking number in your original order confirmation, type the courier's address into your browser yourself, and check the parcel there. Any genuine customs or redelivery charge will be visible in that official portal. If you were not expecting a delivery at all, the text is fraudulent. In the UK you can forward it to 7726 to report it to your mobile provider, then delete it. If you have already entered card details, ring your bank on the number on the back of your card, cancel the card, and ask about disputing charges. If you installed anything the page offered, run a security scan on the phone.
Frequently asked questions
I clicked the link but closed the page without entering anything. Am I at risk?
Usually not. Opening a page rarely does anything on its own, and the real danger comes from typing details into it or installing something it offered. Check whether anything downloaded, and on an Android phone make sure no app was installed from outside the official store. Run a security scan if you are unsure. Keep an eye on your bank statements for small unfamiliar payments over the next few weeks, then delete the message and move on.
Do couriers ever charge a fee by SMS?
Some do send payment links for import duty, but they always direct you to their own official website. If the link in the message does not go to the courier official domain, treat it as fraudulent.
Is it safe to open the text to read it?
Reading a text is generally safe — the risk comes from clicking links or calling numbers contained in it. Do not tap any links.