DPD Scam Text or Genuine Message? Check a Fake Delivery Text

A DPD text is not proved genuine by its sender name. Match it to a real order and parcel number through DPD's official site or app before using any payment route.

By Alex Bacsa · Published 2026-06-05 · Updated 2026-08-01 · 6 min read

What is the DPD scam text?

A DPD scam text is an SMS phishing message that impersonates the courier to collect personal or card details. Common versions claim a delivery failed, an address is incomplete, or a small redelivery fee is due. The quickest safe answer is not to judge the logo or sender name: find the parcel number in the retailer's dispatch confirmation and enter it through the official DPD site or app. No matching parcel means the message has no verified connection to your order.

Payment wording needs one important distinction. An unexpected fee to reattempt an ordinary UK delivery is a common scam pattern, but DPD's international guidance says a recipient can receive an SMS or email with a secure payment link for genuine import duties or taxes. Verify the parcel, charge and route independently before paying either kind of request.

How the DPD text scam works, step by step

• A text arrives claiming to be from DPD about a missed delivery, an address problem, or an unpaid fee, with a link and a sense of urgency.
• The link leads to a convincing copy of the DPD website on a lookalike domain (for example 'dpd-redelivery' or 'dpd-parcel' followed by an unusual ending).
• You're asked to confirm personal details and pay a small 'redelivery' or 'customs' fee — often just one or two pounds — to make it feel low-risk.
• The card details and personal information you enter are harvested instantly.
• Days later, many victims get a follow-up phone call from someone posing as their bank's fraud team, using the stolen details to sound convincing and pressuring them to move money to a 'safe account'. This second stage is where the largest losses happen.

Warning signs of a fake DPD text

• The message asks for a redelivery or release fee that you cannot match to a real parcel. DPD does not charge a consumer to reattempt a standard delivery.
• It claims duties or taxes are due but gives no parcel number you can verify independently. DPD can send an SMS or email with a secure payment link for genuine import duties or taxes, so payment wording alone is not proof of fraud.
• The sender is an ordinary mobile or international number and the message cannot be matched to a delivery you expect. A displayed sender name is not proof either because sender details can be spoofed.
• The web address is a lookalike rather than a DPD route you reached through the official site or app.
• It uses a generic greeting and pressures you to act within hours or the parcel will be 'returned'.
• You were not expecting a parcel, or its reference does not match an order confirmation.

How to check whether a DPD text is genuine

Use this three-part check before tapping anything:

• Order: are you expecting a parcel, and does the retailer say DPD is carrying it?
• Parcel: does the parcel number from the retailer work when you type it into DPD's official site or app yourself?
• Request: does the independently opened tracking record show the same delivery status or verified import charge?

Do not rely on the displayed sender name, spelling or page design. If you cannot match all three elements, contact the retailer through your order record. DPD does not need your card PIN, online-banking password or one-time banking code to deliver a parcel.

What to do if you tapped the link or paid

• Contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card, and tell them you may have entered card details on a scam site. Ask them to block the card and watch for fraudulent transactions.
• If you entered an online banking password or one-time code, change the password and report it to your bank as compromised.
• Be on guard for a follow-up call claiming to be your bank — this is part of the scam. Your real bank will never ask you to move money to a 'safe account'. Hang up and call back on the card number.
• Keep the message and any payment confirmation as evidence, then report it.
• Monitor your statements and consider checking your credit file for applications you don't recognise.

How to report a DPD scam text in the UK

Forward a suspicious SMS free of charge to 7726 — which spells SPAM on a phone keypad — then delete it; this alerts your mobile provider so it can investigate and block the sender. For an iMessage, RCS or app message, also use the service's built-in junk or spam reporting tool. If you lost money or shared personal or card details, report the scam to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040; in Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101. Forward suspicious emails impersonating DPD to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk.

Frequently asked questions

Sources checked

• DPD UK — Cyber Security (phishing guidance)
• DPD UK International — duties and taxes payment support
• Ofcom — What to do about a scam call, text or message
• Report Fraud — Reporting cyber crime and fraud
• Police Scotland — contact us: non-emergencies on 101

Reporting routes in this guide are checked against our verified canon of official UK sources — Report Fraud for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or Police Scotland on 101 for Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre, and the consumer service for each nation — by an automated accuracy gate before publication. Editorially updated by Alex Bacsa, Founder & Editor, on 2026-08-01. Read about how Beat the Scam writes guides.