A fake courier message. There is no parcel, and the payment page exists only to collect card details.
It arrives from an unknown number, usually while you are actually expecting something. A short message says a parcel could not be delivered and asks for a small amount — often under two euros — to release it.
The small amount is the mechanism. It is low enough that paying feels faster than checking, and the page that takes it collects far more than the fee.
How it works
Three steps, in the same order every time.
- A short link opens a page that copies the courier's own design, down to the tracking-number box.
- The page asks for card number, expiry and security code — fields a real courier does not collect from a link in a text message.
- A confirmation screen shows a fee while the transaction built from those details runs behind it.
What gives it away
- The link does not sit on the courier's own domain. Read the part immediately left of the first single slash, not the part in the middle.
- Payment is demanded before delivery. Real couriers settle unpaid fees on the doorstep or inside their own app.
- The message is generic — no order number, no street, no name — because it was sent to thousands of numbers at once.
- A shortened link hides where it actually goes.
What to do
- 1Do not pay, and close the page.
- 2If you typed card details, call your bank's card-emergency number now and ask them to block the card. Speed matters more than the amount.
- 3Check the parcel from the courier's own app or a bookmark you already have — never from the message.
- 4Report the message to your carrier's spam route so the number gets blocked for everyone else.
Frequently asked questions
I paid, but it was only a few euros. Is it worth calling the bank?
Yes, and today. The fee was never the loss — the card details are. Small charges are how a stolen card is validated before larger ones follow.
I only entered my address, not a card. Am I safe?
Safer, but not unaffected. You confirmed that a real person with that address reads that phone number, which makes the next attempt more convincing. Expect one.
How can I tell a genuine courier message from a fake?
Track the parcel somewhere you already trust — the app, or the site you ordered from. A genuine courier never needs you to open a link in a text message to receive a parcel.
Written by The BaitScan team
Last updated September 16, 2026
Results are automated risk estimates based on public indicators and heuristics.