DPD Scam Text Messages: How to Spot a Fake DPD Delivery Text
Had a text from 'DPD' about a missed parcel or a small redelivery fee? Here's how to tell a genuine DPD message from a scam.
What is the DPD scam text?
A DPD scam text is a smishing (SMS phishing) message that pretends to be from the courier DPD to trick you into handing over personal or card details. It usually claims your parcel couldn't be delivered, that your address is incomplete, or that a small fee is needed to release or reschedule the delivery — always with a link to tap. The reason this scam works so well in the UK is that DPD genuinely does send delivery texts, often with a one-hour delivery window, so a fake one doesn't look out of place.
Scammers send these messages in huge, untargeted batches; they don't know whether you're actually expecting a parcel, but with so many people shopping online, a good share of recipients are. If you tap the link and enter details on the fake page, the criminals capture them in real time.
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 contains a link asking you to pay a fee or 'confirm' details. Genuine DPD delivery texts do not ask for payment by text.
- It asks for a redelivery fee at all — DPD does not charge consumers a fee to reattempt a standard delivery.
- The sender is an ordinary mobile number or an international number, not a recognisable short code or 'DPD' sender ID.
- The web address isn't the official dpd.co.uk — look for misspellings, extra words, or unusual endings.
- It uses a generic greeting and pressures you to act within hours or the parcel will be 'returned'.
- You weren't expecting a parcel, or the tracking number doesn't match anything you ordered.
How to check whether a DPD text is genuine
Never tap the link in the message. Instead, verify the delivery independently. If you're expecting a parcel, find the tracking number in the dispatch email or order confirmation the retailer sent you, then go to the official dpd.co.uk site or the DPD app by typing the address yourself — not by following any link in the text. Genuine DPD tracking shows the same parcel and status without ever asking for a fee or your card details. If there's no matching order, the text is a scam.
When in doubt, contact the retailer you bought from; they can confirm who is actually delivering and whether a parcel is in transit. A real courier will never need your full card number, PIN, online banking password, or a one-time security 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
Reporting these texts is quick and genuinely helps shut the scams down. Forward the message free of charge to 7726 — the spam-reporting shortcode run by mobile networks, which spells 'SPAM' on a keypad — then delete it. Report the scam to Action Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 if you've lost money or shared details; in Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101.
You can also report phishing that impersonates DPD to the National Cyber Security Centre by forwarding suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, and let DPD know through the security or contact section of their official website so they can act on the fake domains.
Frequently asked questions
Does DPD charge a redelivery fee by text?
No. DPD does not charge consumers a fee to redeliver a standard parcel, and it does not ask for payment through a link in a text message. Any text demanding a small 'redelivery', 'release', or 'customs' fee to free your parcel is a scam designed to capture your card details. If a delivery genuinely needs action, you can check it yourself on the official dpd.co.uk site using the tracking number from your order confirmation.
What does a genuine DPD text look like?
A real DPD text relates to a parcel you're actually expecting and typically gives a one-hour delivery window and a link to track or change the delivery on dpd.co.uk. It never asks for a fee, your full card number, your PIN, or an online banking code. If you're unsure, don't tap the link — open the DPD app or type dpd.co.uk into your browser and enter your tracking number manually to confirm the status.
I paid a DPD 'redelivery fee' — what should I do now?
Contact your bank straight away on the number printed on the back of your card, explain you entered card details on a scam site, and ask them to block the card and monitor for fraud. Change any password or code you entered. Be especially wary of a follow-up call claiming to be your bank's fraud team — that is the next stage of the scam. Report it to Action Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
How do I report a fake DPD text message?
Forward the text free to 7726 so your mobile network can investigate the sender, then delete it. If you lost money or shared personal or card details, report it to Action Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland). You can also report the fake DPD website to the NCSC and flag it to DPD through their official site.