Fake Delivery Address Update and Redelivery Fee on WhatsApp

How it looks on WhatsApp, the red flags and what to do.

WhatsApp is private and fast, which scammers like: a "wrong number" chat can turn into a task, an investment tip or a payment request within minutes. Fake Delivery Address Update and Redelivery Fee is one of the ways this shows up: An SMS says your parcel is on hold because the address is incomplete and asks for a small fee on a lookalike link. The link steals card details.

What fake delivery address update and redelivery fee looks like on WhatsApp

• A PDF, APK or image that must be opened to "see the details".
• A link that pretends to be a wa.me, courier or bank page.
• A message from an unknown number, often with a stock photo of a smiling person.

The scammer sends the same text to thousands of numbers, relying on the chance that some recipients are expecting a parcel. The sender name is made to resemble a courier or postal service, and the link is shortened so the real address is hidden. It leads to a page that copies the look of a courier tracking site, with a logo, a reference number and a clear countdown.

Red flags to check on the WhatsApp message

• The message asks for a fee to deliver a parcel you cannot clearly link to an order.
• The link is shortened or the address differs from the courier's real website.
• A tight deadline of a day is given before the parcel is 'returned'.
• A page that should take a small fee asks for the OTP, CVV or card PIN.
• A file ending in .apk arrives; never install it.
• Someone asks for the six-digit code WhatsApp sent you by SMS.

What to do

1. Check your orders in the shopping app, and track the parcel using the courier's own app or site typed by hand.
2. Do not open the link or type any card detail.
3. Delete the SMS after reporting the number in Sanchar Saathi under Chakshu.
4. If it was a "friend", call them on the number you already have and ask.
5. Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp settings so a stolen SMS code is not enough.
6. Warn the group or family, and report the number on Sanchar Saathi if it is a scam call or message.

Inside WhatsApp use Block and report; for numbers that call or text you, the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) also takes complaints.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call your bank through the number on your card and ask to block the card immediately.
2. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with the SMS and the page link.
3. Check the card statement for other charges and tell the bank about each of them.
4. Do not install any file the page offered; remove it if it was installed.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Paste the SMS into Scam check in Safeavio Sentinel, or share it from your messages app, and it shows the reasons it looks risky, such as urgency and a fee request. Link check tests a link before you open it for lookalike domains and shortened links. Safeavio does not read your messages by itself and cannot confirm whether a real parcel is waiting for you.

Full guide: Fake Delivery Address Update and Redelivery Fee: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, phone call, email.

Questions