Delivery & Package Scams
Delivery scams are high-volume SMS and email phishing schemes that impersonate postal couriers claiming a package cannot be delivered until a minor redelivery fee or address clarification is submitted.
What is it?
Attackers send unsolicited notifications alleging you have an incoming delivery from couriers like USPS, FedEx, UPS, or Royal Mail. The message directs you to a fake tracking website that requests credit card information for a "nominal redelivery fee" or personal information that leads to recurring fraudulent charges.
How it works
- Broad Broadcast: Scammers send millions of automated SMS messages betting that many recipients are genuinely awaiting an online order.
- Cloned Tracking Page: The link opens a webpage with official courier branding, tracking numbers, and progress bars.
- Payment Exploitation: You are prompted to pay a small fee (e.g. $1.99 or £1.50) to reschedule the delivery. Once your card details are entered, they are used for high-value unauthorized purchases or sold on illicit forums.
The £1.45 Courier Fee That Cost a Family £9,800
In a case profiled by national consumer watchdogs, a mother in Bristol expecting online orders clicked a text message appearing to originate from Royal Mail. The message claimed an item was withheld due to an unpaid £1.45 dispatch charge. She input her debit card number, expiry date, and CVV on the convincing replica portal.
The attackers used her payment details immediately to link a digital wallet (Apple Pay) to their own phone, triggering an automated OTP confirmation prompt which the victim unknowingly approved.
Over the following 4 hours, £9,800 was charged across electronics retailers before the fraud block activated, exhausting her overdraft and life savings.
Example Delivery Lure
"USPS NOTICE: Your package US-8921-X has arrived at our sorting facility but is on hold due to incomplete street address. Please update your details within 12 hours: https://usps-redelivery-portal.live"
What you should do
- Legitimate postal carriers do not demand card payments via unverified SMS text links.
- Copy the tracking number directly and paste it into the official courier app or website (e.g. usps.com).
- If you entered card details, contact your bank immediately to freeze the card.
How ScamCheck Detects Delivery Scams
ScamCheck correlates package tracking language with destination URLs, flagging instances where national couriers are referenced in text but point to unrelated, newly registered, or suspicious web domains.