Royal Mail missed delivery text: is it a scam?
VerdictA text that sends you to a fake Royal Mail website to pay or change delivery details is a scam. Do not use its link.
Why this message works
Scammers exploit the fact that many people are expecting a parcel. Royal Mail documents messages claiming an item has been returned to a local facility or is being held at a warehouse, with a deadline to visit a website. The scam link leads to a non-Royal Mail site. Wording changes, so a message does not have to match an example exactly to be suspicious. A delivery notification alone is not proof of a scam.
Warning signs
- An unexpected demand to pay a small redelivery fee through a text link.
- Pressure to act before your parcel is returned or a short deadline expires.
- A linked page requesting card or personal details, without independently confirming the parcel.
How to check safely
Open Royal Mail's website yourself or use its official app. Check the tracking number from your retailer or original order, not contact details or links supplied by the suspicious message.
What to do now
- Do not reply, follow the link or enter payment details.
- Check your delivery independently using your order's tracking information.
- Keep a screenshot if you need evidence, report the message, then block the sender and delete it.
Report it
In the UK, forward a suspicious SMS to 7726. Most mobile providers support this free reporting service. If it does not work, ask your provider how to report it.
If you already responded
If you entered card or bank details, contact your bank immediately using its app or the number on your card. If you shared a password, change it on the real service and anywhere you reused it. Clicking alone does not prove your phone has been hacked; close the page and seek official help if you downloaded anything or granted permissions.
How did they get your number?
A scam text cannot tell you exactly where the sender got your number. It may have been guessed, exposed in a breach, shared through a sign-up, or found in a public listing. Evri describes mass messaging rather than targeting a known parcel. Public personal information can also make messages more convincing. Receiving a text is not proof that a particular company or data broker supplied your details.
Review what you share publicly and read how data brokers collect contact details. Removing public listings can reduce one source of exposure, but it cannot erase breach records, stop randomly generated texts or guarantee that scam messages will end.
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