How to Spot a Fake Delivery Text (and What to Do Next)

Fake delivery texts — sometimes called “smishing” — are everywhere. You get a message saying a parcel could not be delivered, with a link to “reschedule” or “pay a small fee.” It looks routine, and that is exactly why it works.

Why these scams work

Most of us are waiting on something. Scammers send millions of these texts knowing a good share of recipients genuinely have a package in transit. The message creates a small, urgent problem — a stuck delivery — and offers an easy fix that happens to require your card details or login.

The tell-tale signs

• A link that is not the courier’s real domain. Look closely: royalmail-reschedule.info is not royalmail.com.
• A tiny “fee” to release the parcel. Real couriers do not text you to collect a redelivery fee by card.
• Urgency and a countdown. “Your parcel will be returned in 24 hours.”
• Generic greeting. No name, no order number you recognise.

What to do instead

1. Do not tap the link. Go directly to the courier’s official website or app and paste your tracking number there.
2. Check the sender. Legitimate couriers rarely text from a personal mobile number.
3. When in doubt, scan it. Paste the full message or the link into Spidanest and get an instant AI threat assessment — free.

If you already tapped the link

If you entered card details, contact your bank immediately and freeze the card. If you entered a password, change it everywhere you used it and turn on two-factor authentication.

A good rule of thumb: if a message pushes you to act right now, slow down. Urgency is the scammer’s favourite tool.

Staying safe online is mostly about pausing before you tap. When you are not sure, checking a message takes ten seconds — and it is free.