Delivery & Parcel Scams
Fake 'missed delivery' texts and emails impersonating Australia Post, DHL, FedEx and other couriers are among the most common scams hitting Australian phones. They claim a parcel is held up — wrong address, unpaid fee, failed delivery — and push you to a fake tracking or payment page built to steal your card details.
This guide explains how the scam works, the warning signs to watch for, and what to do if you've been caught out. Got a specific message in front of you? Check it now and get an instant verdict.
How this scam works
You receive an SMS or email claiming a courier couldn't deliver your parcel: the address was incomplete, a customs fee is owing, or you missed the driver. The link leads to a page styled like the courier's real website, which asks you to 'confirm your details' and pay a small fee, usually $1–$3. That tiny fee is the hook — entering your card hands the full number, expiry and security code to the scammer, who then makes much larger charges or sells the details on. Some variants skip the fee and simply harvest personal information through a fake tracking form. Because so many Australians have a parcel on the way at any given moment, the message lands at a believable time — which is exactly why these scams surge around Christmas and major sales events.
How to spot it
- A courier asking for payment through an SMS link — Australia Post never charges redelivery fees this way, and major couriers handle fees through their own portals
- Link domains that aren't the courier's official site (auspost.com.au, dhl.com, fedex.com, mytoll.com) — lookalikes in the style of 'auspost-redelivery.com' are scams
- A tracking number you don't recognise, or one that fails when you type it into the courier's real website yourself
- Messages from a random mobile or overseas number rather than the courier's sender ID
- Deadlines and urgency, such as 'your parcel will be returned to sender within 24 hours'
What to do if you have been targeted
- If you entered card details, call your bank immediately to block the card and dispute any charges
- If you entered a password, change it on the real site straight away — and anywhere else you reuse it
- If you shared identity documents like a licence number, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the message to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au), then delete it
- Warn family and friends — these scams arrive in waves, and older relatives are heavily targeted
Where to report it
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Report scam texts and spam SMS or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SPAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so your carrier can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Related brands targeted by this scam
Scammers often impersonate these names in delivery & parcel scams. Here's how to tell a genuine message from a fake:
Check a suspicious message now
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Frequently asked questions
Why am I getting delivery scam texts when I'm not expecting a parcel?
The texts are blasted to huge lists of Australian numbers — the scammers have no idea whether you have a parcel coming. They rely on the odds: at any moment, a large share of recipients do, and those people are the ones who click. Not expecting anything is itself a strong sign the message is fake.
I paid the small 'redelivery fee'. Is losing a few dollars the worst of it?
Unfortunately no. The fee exists only to make you type in your full card details, which the scammers keep. The real losses come later as unauthorised charges, sometimes weeks afterwards. Call your bank now, block the card, and check your statement for anything you don't recognise.
Do couriers ever send legitimate SMS messages?
Yes — genuine delivery notifications by SMS are common, which is what makes this scam effective. The safe habit: never act through the message's link. Open the courier's app or type its official website into your browser, then enter your tracking number there. Real messages survive that check; scams don't.
What happens if I just ignore a missed-delivery text?
If it's a scam, nothing — there is no parcel. If a real delivery was actually missed, the courier leaves a card, takes the parcel to a collection point, or shows the status in its app and website. Ignoring the text and checking the courier's official channels yourself never costs you a parcel.
Related scam types
Other scams hitting Australians right now — know the warning signs:
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — if you've lost money, contact your bank and the reporting channels above straight away.