Your weekly dose of scam-proofing in 3 minutes or less. No fluff, just the latest hacks, scams, phishing attacks, and cyber cons you actually need to know about.
🚨 SCAM OF THE WEEK: Package Delivery Scams
When a free package on your doorstep is actually bait.
What is a Package Delivery Scam?
This scam starts with a simple message:
“We attempted delivery but couldn’t complete it. Please confirm your details or pay the redelivery fee.”
It might come via SMS, email, or WhatsApp, posing as a courier company.
You click the link.
You pay a small fee to “release the parcel.”
But there was never a parcel.
And now the scammers have your card details.
🧠 How It Works
1️⃣ The message arrives
It claims to be from:
DHL
FedEx
UPS
Royal Mail
USPS
Evri
Temu delivery partners
Amazon logistics
The message says your package is on hold.
2️⃣ You click the link
The link takes you to a website that looks exactly like a courier site.
Logos.
Tracking number.
Professional design.
3️⃣ The “small fee” trap
You’re asked to pay a tiny fee:
Redelivery charge.
Customs duty.
Address verification fee.
Usually between £1 and £3.
Most people pay without thinking.
4️⃣ The real scam
When you enter your card details:
Scammers steal the card info.
They may charge additional payments later.
Or sell the card details on the dark web.
The parcel never existed.
💥 Why It Works
📦 Everyone is expecting packages
Online shopping is constant.
Amazon. Temu. Shein. eBay.
So a delivery message feels normal.
🚚 Courier confusion
Your parcel might actually arrive from:
Amazon Logistics.
DHL
Local courier.
Gig driver.
Random third-party logistics company.
So you don’t question the name.
💳 The fee feels tiny
£1 or £2 doesn’t trigger alarm bells.
But the goal isn’t the £2.
The goal is your card details.
🙈 Real-world Facepalms
The UK National Cyber Security Centre reported that parcel delivery scams were one of the most reported phishing scams in the country.
In the United States, the FTC warned that millions of fake USPS delivery texts are sent every year.
In South Africa, banks have warned customers about fake courier messages impersonating DHL and Aramex, asking victims to pay customs fees.
Temu customers have also reported receiving fake messages claiming they must pay customs or delivery charges before a parcel is released.
⚠️ Red Flags for Customers to Watch Out For
🚩 Unexpected delivery messages when you didn’t order anything.
🚩 Links that don’t match the courier’s real website.
🚩 Messages with urgency: “Pay within 12 hours”.
🚩 Requests for small “processing fees”.
🚩 Poor spelling or slightly wrong company names.
🛡️ How Not to Get Played
✔ Never click delivery links in text messages. Check your actual orders
If you ordered something, check the tracking from the retailer’s app.
✔ Watch the URL carefully
Fake courier pages often use domains like:
dhl-track-help[.]com
royalmail-parcel[.]net
✔ Never pay delivery fees via random links
Legitimate customs or delivery fees are usually handled inside the retailer’s checkout or official tracking page. Instead, go directly to the courier’s official website.
🔥 ONE-LINER HOT TAKE
If a courier asks for your card details via SMS, it’s not a delivery update; it’s a scam.
That’s it for this week.
If a delivery message shows up out of the blue, slow down before you click.
A real parcel doesn’t disappear because you waited five minutes to verify it.
Catch you next time,
Dan & the Goldphish Team
📌 P.S. Know someone who orders from Temu three times a week? Forward this before their next “delivery fee” turns into a stolen card.
