"Sorry we missed you - pay a small fee to rearrange delivery." It's one of the most common scams in the UK because it's so believable: most of us are expecting something in the post. Fake delivery messages impersonating Royal Mail, DPD, Evri and others use a tiny fee or a vague "issue" as the hook to steal your card details. This guide shows how they work and how to handle them.

How the delivery scam works

These scams usually arrive as a text (smishing), sometimes as an email or automated call. The message claims there's a problem with a parcel and provides a link to "fix" it:

  • Missed delivery / redelivery fee. "We attempted delivery but no one was home. Pay £1.45 to rearrange." The link leads to a convincing fake courier site asking for your address and card details.
  • Customs or shipping charge. "Your parcel is held pending a customs fee of £2.99." Same trick, dressed for international parcels.
  • Address confirmation. "We couldn't deliver - confirm your details to reschedule." It harvests personal data even without a fee.

A realistic example:

A text appears to come from "Royal Mail": "Your package has a £1.99 unpaid shipping fee. To avoid return, settle here: [link]." The site looks the part, complete with logo. You enter your card to pay the trivial fee - and a day later receive a call from the "bank fraud team" (also fake) about "suspicious activity", using the details you just gave to escalate into a safe-account scam. The £1.99 was never the point.

That two-stage pattern - tiny fee first, big fraud later - is what makes delivery scams so costly.

Red flags

  • A fee out of proportion - genuine charges aren't collected via a surprise text link.
  • Urgency - "pay within 24 hours or your parcel is returned".
  • A link to an unfamiliar web address dressed up with courier branding.
  • A request for card details, date of birth or full address to "release" a parcel.
  • A parcel you weren't expecting, or a courier you didn't use.
  • The sender number may be a spoofed or +44 7 mobile.

What to do

  1. Don't tap the link or enter any details.
  2. Check directly with the courier. Use the official app or website, or the tracking number from the retailer's own order confirmation - never the link in the message.
  3. Ask yourself if you're even expecting a parcel from that courier.
  4. Forward scam texts to 7726 and report fake delivery emails to the official phishing reporting address.
  5. Report it to Action Fraud.
  6. If you entered card details, contact your bank immediately, stay alert for follow-up "bank" calls, and see what to do if you've been scammed.

How genuine couriers handle missed deliveries

Real couriers leave a physical card or send updates through their own app and your retailer's tracking. Genuine customs charges on imports are collected through established processes, not a random text demanding instant card payment. If you're ever unsure, go to the courier's official site yourself and enter your tracking number - if there's no matching issue, the message was a scam.

The bottom line

The fake parcel text works because it's small, urgent and plausible. Treat any unexpected "delivery fee" or "missed parcel" link as a scam by default. Never pay or enter details through a message link - check the courier directly using your real tracking number. And remember the sting in the tail: the details you give to a delivery scam often fuel a bigger fraud, so guard them accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Royal Mail / DPD / Evri "missed parcel" text real?

Almost always a scam if it asks you to pay a fee or confirm details via a link. Genuine couriers leave a card or update their own app and your retailer's tracking. Don't tap the link - check directly with the courier using your real tracking number.

Why would a scam only ask for a tiny fee like £1.99?

The small fee makes you drop your guard, but the real prize is your card and personal details. Scammers often follow up days later posing as your "bank's fraud team" to escalate into a much larger theft using the information you entered.

I paid the delivery fee - what should I do?

Contact your bank immediately to protect your account, as you've shared card details. Be especially wary of any follow-up call claiming to be your bank. Report it to Action Fraud and follow our scammed on the phone steps.

How do I report a fake delivery text?

Forward the text to 7726 free of charge so your network can investigate, report fake emails to the official phishing reporting service, and report the scam to Action Fraud. Then delete the message.