Courier Delivery Fee and Redelivery Link Scam by email

How it looks by email, the red flags and what to do.

Email scams copy the logos, colours and wording of real companies, and the sender address often differs from the real one by one letter. Courier Delivery Fee and Redelivery Link Scam is one of the ways this shows up: 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.

What courier delivery fee and redelivery link scam looks like by email

• An attachment such as a PDF, ZIP or HTML file you did not expect.
• A generic greeting instead of your name.
• A login page that opens from the email and asks for your password and OTP.

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.

Red flags to check on the email

• 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.
• The email asks you to log in through the link rather than through the official app.
• It carries a surprise invoice, refund or legal notice.

What to do

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. Do not open the attachment and do not press the button.
5. Go to the company website by typing it yourself and check your account there.
6. Check the full sender address, not just the display name.

Use Report phishing in your email app. If money or accounts are affected, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

If money or a code is already gone

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 at cybercrime.gov.in.

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.

Full guide: Courier Delivery Fee and Redelivery Link Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, WhatsApp.

Questions