Royal Mail Scam Texts: Spot a Fake Delivery Text (UK)
Criminals impersonate Royal Mail via SMS to trick you into revealing payment details or downloading malware.
What a fake Royal Mail text looks like
A Royal Mail scam text is a smishing message that pretends to be from Royal Mail so you tap a link and hand over card or personal details. An example of the style is: Royal Mail: Your parcel has an unpaid shipping fee of £2.99. Pay to reschedule delivery: royalmail-redelivery.example.
The fee is usually small and believable. The link opens a fake Royal Mail page, often styled around a missed delivery, customs fee, or postage shortfall. This guide shows how to tell a fake from a genuine Royal Mail fee message, how to pay safely, and how to report the scam.
Why Royal Mail texts are easy to fake
Scammers can set a sender name to read Royal Mail, so the displayed sender is not enough to prove the message is genuine. They also exploit a real detail: Royal Mail can charge legitimate fees.
Royal Mail's own guidance says an underpaid item surcharge is notified by a grey Fee to Pay card. For customs fees, Royal Mail says it will contact the recipient by SMS or email and will also leave a grey Fee to Pay card. It says an SMS or email about a customs fee will link to the Royal Mail Fee to Pay site.
That nuance matters. A text about a Royal Mail customs charge is not automatically fake, but you should verify it independently. Type royalmail.com/pay-a-fee or royalmail.com/track-your-item yourself, use the official Royal Mail app, and match the barcode or tracking details before paying.
Signs a Royal Mail text is a scam
- It asks for a redelivery or release fee that you cannot match to a real item, tracking number, barcode, or
Fee to Paycard. - It links to a lookalike or shortened address instead of a Royal Mail route you reached yourself.
- It asks for card details, bank details, or personal information on a copycat page.
- It pressures you with a deadline before the item is returned to sender.
- It claims a customs or postage fee but gives no verifiable item reference.
- The wording, spelling, or layout looks odd, though a polished text can still be a scam.
- It asks you to use a payment route outside Royal Mail's official
Fee to Payprocess.
How the Royal Mail fee scam works
First, a text claims your parcel needs a small fee paid before delivery. Second, it pushes you to a link to pay or reschedule. Third, the link opens a fake Royal Mail page asking for your address and card details. Fourth, the criminals capture them.
The first amount may look small, but the details can be used for further card fraud. Some victims later get a call pretending to be from a bank fraud team about the payment. Hang up and contact your bank yourself using a trusted number.
How to check a Royal Mail text safely
Do not use a payment link from an unexpected text.
- Type
royalmail.com/pay-a-feeorroyalmail.com/track-your-iteminto your browser yourself. - Use the official Royal Mail app, or follow the grey
Fee to Paycard left at your address. - For customs charges, check that the SMS or email matches a real Royal Mail item and the official
Fee to Payroute. - For underpaid postage, rely on the grey
Fee to Paycard and Royal Mail's site.
If the message cannot be matched to a real item, treat it as a scam. When you are unsure whether a linked site is a copycat, our guide on Is This Website a Scam? A Practical Checklist Before You Buy walks through the checks, and our DPD Scam Text Messages: How to Spot a Fake DPD Delivery Text guide covers the same trick from other couriers.
If you paid or shared card details
Contact your bank or card issuer immediately using the number on the back of your card. Tell them it was a scam, ask them to stop the card if needed, and ask about disputing the transaction. A card payment may be recoverable through chargeback, depending on the circumstances and card scheme rules.
If you sent money by UK bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024, mandatory APP fraud reimbursement rules may apply to Faster Payments and CHAPS transfers. The PSR rules include a 13-month claim window, a maximum claim amount of £85,000, possible exclusions, and a possible excess of up to £100. Report the scam to your bank as soon as possible and keep evidence.
If you shared personal details, consider Cifas Protective Registration at cifas.org.uk and monitor your credit reports with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Keep the text, screenshots, payment receipts, and any website address you used.
How to report a Royal Mail scam text (UK)
Forward suspicious texts to 7726. The NCSC says most UK phone providers let customers report suspicious texts for free this way, so the provider can investigate.
Royal Mail asks customers to report suspicious Royal Mail emails by forwarding them to reportascam@royalmail.com. Check Royal Mail's scam-protection page for current reporting options if the scam came through another channel. If a suspicious email contains a phishing link, you can also forward it to the NCSC at report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you lost money, shared sensitive information, or were hacked, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 if you are in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101.
Frequently asked questions
Does Royal Mail charge a fee by text?
Sometimes. Royal Mail says customs-fee notifications may arrive by SMS or email and will also be backed up by a grey Fee to Pay card. Underpaid item surcharges are notified by grey Fee to Pay card. The safe method is to type royalmail.com/pay-a-fee yourself and verify the item before paying.
How do I tell a genuine Royal Mail fee from a scam?
Match it to a real item using Royal Mail Track & Trace, the official app, or the barcode on the grey Fee to Pay card. Use the official Fee to Pay route rather than a link in an unexpected text.
I paid the fee - can I get my money back?
Possibly. Contact your bank or card issuer immediately using the number on your card, report it as a scam, and ask them to stop the card and dispute the payment. Watch for follow-up bank impersonation calls.
I clicked the link but did not pay - am I at risk?
The risk is lower than if you entered details, but do not continue. Close the page, do not download anything, and run a security scan if the site prompted a download. If you entered card or personal details, treat them as compromised and contact your bank.
How do I report a Royal Mail text scam?
Forward it to 7726. If you lost money or shared sensitive information, report it to Report Fraud in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland. Scam Royal Mail emails can be forwarded to reportascam@royalmail.com.