Courier Delivery Fee and Redelivery Link Scam by SMS

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

On SMS the scammer has only a few lines to work with, so they use a deadline, a threat or a prize and a link that must be tapped "now". 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 SMS

• A request to call a number, install an app or share an OTP.
• Several near-identical messages arriving together from different senders.
• A sender name that resembles a bank, courier, tax or utility, or an ordinary mobile number.

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 text message

• 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.
• It threatens blocking, arrest, disconnection or a fine unless you act at once.
• It promises a refund, prize or cashback you never asked for.

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. Open the official app or type the official website yourself to see if there is any real notice.
5. Paste the text into a scam checker (Safeavio Sentinel can check it) before you do anything else.
6. Report the sender on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) and block the number.

You can report suspicious SMS and calls on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) of the Department of Telecommunications.

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: WhatsApp, email.

Questions