Parcel delivery scam texts: Royal Mail, Evri and USPS

“Your parcel is on hold.” “Pay a £1.45 redelivery fee.” “Update your address within 24 hours.” Fake parcel texts are among the most common scam texts, because almost everyone is waiting for something. Paste the text below to see where its link really goes before you tap.

Updated 23 October 2026 · 3 min read

Check a parcel text now

Check one now

Paste the parcel text

Copy the whole text and paste it here, or paste just the link. Peekray picks out the links (up to 8) and shows where each one really goes, with a clear answer such as Safe, Check first or Scam.

To copy a text, press and hold the message, then tap Copy.

or type or paste it here

Only the web addresses are sent for checking. Screenshots are read on your device, and our server never reads or keeps the rest of your message.

Got a QR code?

Check it before you open it. The code is read in your browser, and only a web address in it is sent for checking.

The facts

What the real parcel firms say

  • UK

    Royal Mail

    Royal Mail says it never asks for payment for an underpaid item by text or email: it leaves a grey “Fee to Pay” card. It only texts with tracking updates the sender asked for, or about a customs fee, so check where any link goes.

  • UK

    Evri

    Evri says its texts never ask you to reschedule a delivery or pay to do so.

  • US

    USPS

    The US Postal Inspection Service says USPS doesn’t text or email you unless you asked for updates with a tracking number, and those messages don’t contain a link.

Guides for UK parcel firms:

Royal Mail Evri DPD

Spot it

Four signs of a fake parcel text

  1. 01

    A small fee to “release” or redeliver it

    Often a pound or two, like £1.45. The amount is small so you don’t think twice, but the page asks for your full card details.

  2. 02

    A deadline

    “Pay today or it goes back to the sender.” “Update your address within 24 hours.” The rush is there to stop you checking.

  3. 03

    A link that isn’t the firm’s real site

    Read the site name from the right: royalmail.com.parcel-fee.example is really parcel-fee.example. Paste the text above to see where the link really ends up.

  4. 04

    It asks you to reply Y

    On an iPhone, iMessage turns off links in texts from unknown senders, and replying turns them back on. Don’t reply to a text you weren’t expecting.

Tax refund, toll and fine texts, too

Got one?

What to do with a parcel text

  1. 1

    Don’t tap the link or reply.

  2. 2

    To check on a real parcel, open the firm’s own app or type its web address yourself, and use the tracking number from the shop you ordered from.

  3. 3

    Report the text (see below), then delete it.

Already paid the fee? What to do now

Report it

Where to report a parcel scam text

In the UK

Any scam text
Forward it to 7726. It’s free.
Posing as Royal Mail
Also send a screenshot to reportascam@royalmail.com.
Lost money
Tell your bank, then report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

In the US

Any scam text
Forward it to 7726 (SPAM).
Posing as USPS
Also report it to spam@uspis.gov.
Lost money
Tell your bank, and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Let Peekray do it

Check the next parcel text before you tap.

Add to Chrome, it’s freeCheck on your phone

FAQ

Common questions

Does Royal Mail text you about a fee to pay?

Not for an underpaid item. Royal Mail says it leaves a grey “Fee to Pay” card for that, and never asks for that payment by text or email. It does text about customs fees and with tracking updates the sender asked for, so paste any Royal Mail text into Peekray to see where its link goes.

Does Evri text you to pay for redelivery?

No. Evri says its texts never ask you to reschedule a delivery or pay to do so.

Does USPS send texts with links?

Only if you asked for updates with a tracking number, and the US Postal Inspection Service says those messages don’t contain a link. A USPS text with a link that you didn’t sign up for is a scam.

I paid the fee in a parcel text. What now?

Call your bank now on the number on the back of your card (in the UK you can also dial 159), and tell them you entered your card details on a scam site. Expect follow-up calls pretending to be your bank, and hang up on them. Peekray’s guide to what to do after a scam link takes you through the rest.

Does Peekray read my messages?

No. When you paste a message, Peekray picks out the links on your device and sends only those web addresses to its server to check. The rest of the message isn’t sent.

Sources

Where this advice comes from

Guides

More help