Delivery scam prevention

Fake package delivery scams

3 min readPractical safety guide

A delivery message is suspicious when it creates urgency, asks you to pay a small unexpected fee, or sends you to a domain that does not match the carrier you expected. Do not use the message link to verify the parcel. Open the carrier app or website independently and check the tracking number there.

Unexpected message

Fake tracking page

Small fee

Card or data theft

Quick test

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Example message

“Your parcel is waiting. Pay €1.99 to reschedule delivery: delivery-track-support.example”

How this scam usually works

The message usually claims that a parcel could not be delivered, an address needs confirmation, customs or redelivery charges are due, or a package is waiting. The amount requested may be small so the payment feels routine.

More detail

The link can lead to a convincing copy of a carrier or postal website. The goal may be to collect card details, account credentials, personal information or payment through a fraudulent checkout.

Warning signs

You were not expecting the parcel or the timing does not make sense.
The message demands immediate action to avoid return, cancellation or extra fees.
The visible carrier name does not match the real domain after you inspect the link.
The page asks for card details, passwords or identity information for a minor delivery issue.
The sender uses a shortened link, unusual domain or unrelated hostname.

How to verify the situation safely

Do not tap the message link. Open the official carrier app, type the known carrier website yourself, or use a tracking number from the merchant order page. If the parcel is genuine, the delivery status should exist independently of the message.

If you received a link, paste the URL or sender address into Can I Share This? before opening it. A low-risk technical result does not replace checking the parcel through the official carrier.

If you already actedIf you entered card details, contact the card issuer promptly and monitor transactions. If you entered a password, change it on the real service and anywhere the same password was reused. If you only opened the page, close it and avoid downloading or installing anything it offered.

Sources

Primary prevention references

Received a suspicious message?

Paste its link or sender email address into Can I Share This? before you trust it.

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