The kettle had just clicked off when Carol’s phone buzzed. “Royal Mail: your parcel is on hold. Pay the £1.45 redelivery fee to avoid return to sender.” The school receptionist from Wigan was expecting her grandson’s birthday present that very week, so her thumb hovered over the link. That pause is exactly what this article is for. The Royal Mail text scam catches thousands of ordinary people every year, and one simple rule about a grey card exposes it every single time.
The Royal Mail Text Scam at a Glance
| What the text says | A parcel needs a small “delivery fee”, usually £1 to £3, paid through a link |
| What it really is | A phishing text leading to a cloned Royal Mail site that steals card details |
| The rule that exposes it | Genuine fees arrive on a grey Fee to Pay card through your door |
| The one exception | A customs fee can come by email or text, and the grey card still follows |
| How to report it | Forward the text to 7726 (free), then screenshot it to reportascam@royalmail.com |
| If you paid | Call your bank (dial 159) and Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 |
The Text That Lands Just When You’re Expecting a Parcel
Carol’s text felt believable because a real parcel genuinely was on its way, and with millions of us ordering online most weeks, the odds are always in the scammer’s favour. Which? research from June 2025 found that three in five people are targeted by scam delivery texts in a single year, and of the 2,000-plus delivery scam texts logged in its scam sharer tool that year, more than a quarter pretended to be Royal Mail. The crooks send the same text to thousands of numbers at once. They only need the handful of people who happen to be waiting for a parcel, and our guide to how to report a scam text in the UK explains what to do with the rest.
How the Scam Works, Step by Step
The whole trick runs on one tiny, believable payment. Full Fact recorded the classic wording back in 2021, and it barely changes: “Your package has a £2.99 unpaid shipping fee, to pay this now please visit…” followed by a threat that the parcel goes back if you don’t. The small fee was never the point, though. Your card details were, which is why knowing what to do if you clicked a scam link matters even if you paid nothing. The steps are almost always the same:
- A text claims a parcel needs a fee, usually between £1 and £3.
- The link opens a fake site dressed up in Royal Mail colours and logos.
- The site asks for your postcode, name, address, date of birth and phone number.
- A payment page then takes your card number, expiry date and security code.
The Follow-Up Call That Does the Real Damage
Here’s the part most warnings miss: the text is only act one. In 2025 a Which? reporter entered a prepaid card’s details on one of these fake sites, then waited. Two weeks later the charges started, over £4,000 of attempted payments, blocked only by the card provider’s security. Real victims often get a phone call first, days or weeks on, from a “bank fraud team” that already knows their name, card number and address, because the scammers are reading from the form the victim filled in. The caller sounds calm, then asks them to move money to a “safe account”. No genuine bank ever asks that, and getting a bank transfer scam refund afterwards is a battle you don’t want.
When Royal Mail Really Does Charge a Fee
Royal Mail does sometimes hold an item until you pay, which is exactly why the scam works. If an item has underpaid or invalid postage, or a customs charge is due from abroad, Royal Mail puts a grey Fee to Pay card or letter through your door with the exact charge printed on it, and you pay online, at a Post Office or at your local delivery office. The company’s stated position is that the only time it asks for payment by email or text is when a customs fee is due, and even then the grey card still follows in the post. An unexpected message demanding money through a link is the same trick behind the fake HMRC refund text: real organisations already have an official route, and it’s never a surprise link.
Red Flags You Can Spot in Five Seconds
Ray, Carol’s husband, nearly paid a £2.99 version a month later, with every warning sign in plain view. Check the web address first: Royal Mail only uses royalmail.com, while scammers register lookalikes such as royalmail-redelivery.com or royal-mail-reschedule.co.uk. Look at the sender next, because a genuine organisation doesn’t message you from a random mobile number. Watch for pressure (“final notice”, “within 24 hours”, “return to sender”), a suspiciously small fee, and any request for your date of birth, full card number or the three-digit code on the back. Royal Mail says it doesn’t put clickable payment links in unsolicited texts at all. Scammers copy whatever looks official, from delivery firms to the new UK digital ID, so the five-second check is a habit worth keeping.
How to Report a Fake Royal Mail Text
Reporting takes about a minute and genuinely gets scam numbers blocked. Forward the text free of charge to 7726, the number that spells SPAM; Ofcom’s 7726 page shows the exact taps for iPhone and Android. Then email a screenshot to reportascam@royalmail.com, the address listed on Royal Mail’s official scam protection page, adding any dodgy number or web address in the body. Delete the text once it’s sent. If money or personal details were taken, report it to Report Fraud, the national service that replaced Action Fraud in January 2026, online at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040; in Scotland call Police Scotland on 101. Knowing how Report Fraud works and what happens after you report makes that call less daunting.
If You’ve Already Entered Your Card Details
Typed your card number in before the doubt kicked in? Move fast and don’t be embarrassed; this scam is built to beat careful people. Call your bank straight away on 159, which connects you safely to more than 25 UK banks, including Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Nationwide and Monzo, and tell them exactly what you entered so they can block the card and send a new one. Keep checking statements for weeks, since the Which? test showed the first raid can come a fortnight later. Report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 for a crime reference number, change any password you reused, and treat any incoming “bank” call with suspicion. There’s a full plan in what to do if you gave a scammer your bank details.
Evri, DPD and the Rest of the Copycats
The same script gets reskinned for every courier in Britain. One week it’s Evri chasing an “address issue”, the next it’s DPD wanting a “redelivery fee”, and the fake sites are near-identical to the Royal Mail versions. Evri has said its genuine texts only ever contain a tracking link and never ask for payment or an app download, and no real UK courier demands card details through a link in a surprise message. If you’re genuinely expecting something, close the text and check the tracking number yourself in the courier’s own app, or on the website you typed in. Guard the personal details these sites harvest, too, because a stolen name, address and date of birth is exactly what fraudsters need for someone opening an account in your name.
What Carol Does Now
Carol didn’t pay the £1.45, and the birthday present turned up two days later without any fee at all. She now runs the same check every time: no grey card through the door means no genuine fee, and no genuine Royal Mail text ever carries a payment link. That one habit beats the Royal Mail text scam completely. Forward the next fake to 7726, send the screenshot to reportascam@royalmail.com, and show this to whoever handles the parcels in your house this week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Royal Mail ever text you about a delivery fee?
Royal Mail says it never puts clickable payment links in unsolicited texts. Only a customs fee may arrive by email or text, with a grey card following.
What is the grey Fee to Pay card?
It’s the card Royal Mail leaves when postage was underpaid or customs charges are due. The exact charge is printed on it, payable online or at a Post Office.
How do I report a Royal Mail scam text?
Forward it free to 7726, then email a screenshot to reportascam@royalmail.com. If you lost money, contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or 101 in Scotland.
What if I paid the fee on a fake Royal Mail site?
Call your bank immediately via 159 so the card can be blocked and replaced. Watch your statements for weeks and report the fraud for a crime reference number.
Are Evri and DPD delivery fee texts scams too?
Almost certainly. Couriers don’t collect fees through text links, and Evri says its real texts only contain tracking links. Check parcels in the courier’s own app instead.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not financial or legal advice. Scam tactics change quickly, so always check royalmail.com and reportfraud.police.uk for the latest official guidance. Figures and contact details were correct as of September 2026.
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