Fake delivery messages: a small fee can be a warning
Expecting a parcel makes a delivery message feel plausible. Check the shipment without using the message’s link.
Start with your actual order
A message about a missed delivery, incomplete address or unpaid charge may arrive when you are expecting a parcel. That coincidence is not verification. Check the order confirmation you already have or open the retailer’s app yourself.
Find the carrier and tracking reference through that independent route. Do not begin by opening the link in the unexpected message, even if it uses the carrier’s name or branding.
The amount is not a measure of the risk
A request for a small payment may lead to a form that collects card details, an address or other information. The immediate charge is not necessarily the only risk. Consider what the form asks for and how you reached it, not simply whether the amount seems affordable.
A later phone call might refer to the attempted payment and claim to be from your bank. Treat that as a separate contact requiring independent verification. Familiar details do not establish the caller’s identity.
If you have not interacted
You can preserve a screenshot privately, report the suspicious message and delete it. GOV.UK advises forwarding suspicious texts to 7726, which reports them to your mobile provider. Use the current official guidance for suspicious emails and websites.
Do not repost the live link in a community report. Describe the delivery claim and requested action without giving other readers a route to the suspect page.
If you entered details
Contact the relevant card issuer or bank promptly using a trusted app or number. Explain which details you entered and whether you approved a payment or security prompt. Change any password you supplied through the genuine account service, especially if you reused it elsewhere.
There is no need to prove that the message was fraudulent before asking your provider how to protect the account. Be factual about what happened.
Keep deliveries convenient
Save the retailer’s confirmation until the order arrives. Having an independent record makes it easier to check a genuine delivery problem without relying on an unsolicited message.
Sources & further reading
For a situation involving money already sent, contact your bank promptly using contact details you trust.
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