Filed under: Consumers The exhibit
Is this "pay a small delivery fee to release your package" text a scam?
Yes. Parcel-fee smishing is one of the most common scams worldwide: a text claims a package is held and asks for a tiny fee via a link. The goal is your card details, not the fee. Carriers don't collect delivery fees by SMS link.
Part of our guide: How to avoid online shopping scams →
Got a message like this? Paste it here →
EXHIBIT · UNEXPECTED REQUEST
Your parcel is on hold. A small delivery fee is required to release it. Pay here to avoid return: track-parcel.example/pay
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Track the parcel only on the carrier's official site, using a number you got when you ordered.
- Carriers don't ask for card details through a text link.
- Odd domains (.top, .xyz, look-alikes) are the tell.
- If you weren't expecting a parcel, it's almost certainly fake.