Royal Mail scam texts: how to spot and check them

Royal Mail is one of the most impersonated brands in UK scam texts. The classic format claims a parcel is held because a small fee is unpaid, with a link to pay it. The fee is bait: the page behind the link is built to harvest your card details, and often your address and date of birth too.

Got one right now? Check it

Paste the message below and ONSIM AI will give you a verdict in seconds - the scam signals, any link domains checked at the registry, and the sender number checked against our database.

ONSIM AI text check

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This check analyses the message content, link domains and sender against known scam patterns. It is provided for information only and is not advice: see our terms and privacy policy. Personal details are removed before anything is stored.

What the scam looks like

Typical formats currently circulating (these are scams, not real messages):

Scam example

Royal Mail: your package has an unpaid shipping fee of £1.45. To arrange redelivery please visit: royalmail-redelivery-fee.com

Scam example

RM: we attempted to deliver your parcel today. A £2.99 customs clearance fee is due. Pay now to avoid return: rm-parcels-gb.com

The amounts are deliberately tiny because a pound or two feels harmless to pay without thinking. The real theft happens after: the card details you enter are used for larger purchases, or a follow-up phone call arrives from a "bank fraud team" that knows the details you just typed, which makes it convincing. Campaign domains are registered days before the texts go out and abandoned within weeks.

The tells

  • ✗A payment link in a text. Royal Mail says it will not ask you to pay a fee via a link in a text message.
  • ✗A domain that is not royalmail.com, however plausible it looks.
  • ✗A fee for a parcel you were not expecting, or "customs charges" on a UK delivery.
  • ✗Urgency: pay today or the parcel is returned.

What the real Royal does

If there really is a fee to pay (for example underpaid postage), Royal Mail leaves a grey "Fee to Pay" card at your address, and payment happens on royalmail.com or at a delivery office. Track parcels only via royalmail.com or the official Royal Mail app.

If you get one

Do not click, reply or call any number in the message. Forward it for free to 7726 so your mobile network can block the campaign, then delete it. If a call or text claims to be your bank, hang up and dial 159 - the UK anti-fraud line that connects you to your real bank. If you have already entered card details, tell your bank immediately; if you have lost money, report it to Action Fraud. You can also check the sender's number to see what has been reported about it.

Royal Mail scam text questions

Does Royal Mail ever send text messages?

Yes, genuine delivery notifications exist, especially when a sender has shared your number for tracking updates. The difference is what the message asks: genuine Royal Mail texts do not ask you to pay a fee through a link. Any Royal Mail text requesting payment is the scam format, whatever the sender name shows.

I paid the fee on a fake Royal Mail site. What now?

Contact your bank immediately and tell them the card details are compromised: they can block the card and watch for fraud. Report the incident to Action Fraud. Be ready for a follow-up call pretending to be your bank fraud team, quoting the details you entered - hang up and call your bank on the number on your card.

Other scam texts going around

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