Courier Delivery Fee and Redelivery Link Scam

A text says a parcel could not be delivered and asks for a small redelivery fee or address update through a link, then drains your card or UPI.

You get a message from a courier or a postal service saying your parcel is held due to an incomplete address. To release it you must update the address and pay a small fee of a few rupees. Many people are indeed waiting for something, so the message lands at the right time. The small fee is bait. The real aim is the card or UPI details you type, or a UPI request you approve without reading.

How the scam works

The scammer sends the same text to huge lists. Some recipients really are expecting a parcel, and they are the ones who respond. The message names a courier or postal brand and gives a tracking-style number to look genuine. The link looks short and neat, but it leads to a copy of a tracking page with an address form and a payment box.

The pressure is the threat of return to sender or storage charges. A tiny fee such as Rs 10 or Rs 25 is chosen because it feels too small to question. If you hesitate, a second message says the parcel will go back tomorrow. People pay quickly, and the page records everything typed into it, including card number and the code from the bank.

The payoff is the card or UPI access. Some pages show a card form that stores your details and uses them for a large purchase. Others push a UPI collect request that looks like a fee but asks for your PIN to send money, not to receive it. A few install a tracking app that watches your messages for OTPs.

An example of what you may see

Example message (invented): 'Your parcel is on hold: address incomplete. Update address and pay redelivery fee Rs 25 within 12 hours or it will be returned. Track: short link. Courier Support.' Then a page asks for card number, expiry and CVV for the Rs 25 fee. The tiny amount is the bait, because the form captures enough to charge much more. Genuine couriers update addresses in their app or by a number printed on your receipt.

This example is written for illustration. Real messages change their wording, names and links all the time.

Red flags

• A parcel you do not remember is waiting.
• A tiny fee is asked through a link.
• A form asks for card details to pay Rs 10 or Rs 25.
• The link is shortened or the domain is a lookalike.
• There is a deadline of a few hours.
• You are asked to enter a PIN to receive money.

What to do right now

1. Do not tap the link or pay the fee.
2. Open the courier's own app, or the shop's order page, and check the shipment there.
3. If you booked it, use the number printed on the receipt or the seller's order page.
4. Never enter a UPI PIN when the screen says you will receive money.
5. Delete the text and report the sender on Sanchar Saathi.

If you already paid or shared a code

1. Call 1930 if any money or card amount was taken.
2. Ask your bank through the number on your card to block the card you typed.
3. Report at cybercrime.gov.in with the link and a screenshot.
4. Check your statement for small test charges that may be followed by larger ones.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930. Report online at cybercrime.gov.in. Do it fast: the sooner your bank is told, the better the chance that money can be held.

Where this scam shows up

Read how it looks on each channel:

How Safeavio helps

Safeavio Sentinel lets you paste the text into the scam check and see reasons such as a tiny fee, a deadline and a link request. The link check looks at the address for lookalike domains and shortened-link patterns before you open it. The QR check helps if the scam sends a QR code. It does not track real parcels and cannot reverse a payment, so confirm shipments only in the courier's app.

• Scam checks
• Phishing checks
• QR checks

Questions people ask

Other scams in this group

Also known as: missed delivery SMS scam, parcel redelivery fee fraud, courier address update scam, India Post fake SMS. More fake government and police scams