Received a text saying your parcel couldn't be delivered?
Fake parcel messages impersonate postal services and courier companies. They often claim that your address is incomplete, a delivery attempt failed, your parcel is being held, or a small redelivery fee must be paid.
Common warning signs of a fake parcel message
- You are asked to update your address or postcode. Scam texts commonly claim that an incorrect or incomplete address is preventing delivery.
- You are asked to pay a small redelivery fee. A small amount can seem harmless, but the real objective may be to capture your card and personal information.
- The message contains an unfamiliar tracking link. Fake delivery websites can closely imitate real postal and courier websites while using a completely different domain name.
- You are told to act within a short time. Messages may claim the parcel will be returned or destroyed if you do not respond immediately.
- You are asked to reply before opening the link. Some scam messages instruct you to reply with a letter such as “Y” and then reopen the message or copy the link into a browser.
- The message arrives when you are expecting a real parcel. Scammers send these messages in large numbers. Receiving one while waiting for a delivery can be coincidence and does not prove the message is genuine.
How to check a delivery safely
Do not use the link contained in the suspicious message.
Open the postal service or courier's official app yourself, or type its known official website address directly into your browser.
If you have a genuine tracking number from the seller or retailer, enter it directly into the official delivery service website or app.
Not sure whether the parcel message is genuine?
Paste the text or upload a screenshot to ScamAssessor. It can look for fake delivery language, address-update requests, redelivery fees, suspicious links, urgency, impersonation and other scam indicators.
Check it with ScamAssessorWhy scammers ask for a very small payment
A redelivery charge of only a few dollars can make the request seem believable and may cause people to enter their card details without thinking carefully.
The fake payment page may collect your name, address, card number, expiry date and security code. The small advertised fee may not be the real purpose of the scam.
If you already entered your card details
Contact your bank or card provider immediately using an independently obtained official contact number. Tell them that your card details may have been entered into a fraudulent website.
If you also supplied passwords or account login information, change the affected passwords and review your accounts for unfamiliar activity.
What ScamAssessor looks for
ScamAssessor checks combinations of warning signs including failed delivery claims, address or postcode problems, redelivery fees, urgent deadlines, suspicious tracking links, impersonation and requests for personal or financial information.
ScamAssessor provides a risk assessment, not proof. A low-risk result does not prove that a delivery message, website or sender is genuine. Verify parcel information directly through the official courier or postal service.
Official example and security guidance: Australia Post scam alerts .