Yodel Scam Text Messages: How to Spot a Fake Yodel Text (UK)
A text from 'Yodel' says your parcel is waiting and needs a small fee or new details? Here's how to spot a Yodel scam text.
What is the Yodel scam text?
A Yodel scam text is a fake message impersonating the UK courier Yodel to steal your personal and payment details. It typically says a parcel couldn't be delivered, is 'waiting' for you, or needs your address confirmed, and includes a link to arrange redelivery. Because Yodel handles a large volume of online-shopping deliveries and does send genuine tracking texts, a fake message blends in easily.
The criminals behind these texts send them in bulk to random numbers — they have no idea whether you've ordered anything, but rely on the fact that many people have a parcel on the way at any given time. The goal is to get you onto a fake Yodel page and hand over enough information to defraud you.
How the Yodel text scam works, step by step
- You receive a text claiming to be from Yodel about a missed or waiting parcel, usually with a link and an urgent tone.
- Tapping the link opens a counterfeit version of the Yodel site on a lookalike web address rather than the real yodel.co.uk.
- The page asks you to re-enter your address and pay a small 'redelivery' or 'service' fee to release the parcel.
- The card details, address, and contact information you submit are captured by the scammers immediately.
- A common follow-up is a phone call or further texts using those details to impersonate your bank, pressuring you to authorise payments or move money — the stage at which people lose the most.
Warning signs of a fake Yodel text
- It asks you to pay any fee to receive or redeliver a parcel. Yodel does not charge the recipient a fee to reattempt a standard delivery.
- There's a link asking for personal or card details — genuine tracking links never need your card number or banking codes.
- The sender is a random mobile or international number rather than a clearly identifiable Yodel sender.
- The web address is not the official yodel.co.uk; watch for added words, hyphens, or odd endings.
- The message uses a generic greeting and a tight deadline to rush you.
- You haven't ordered anything, or the details don't match a parcel you're expecting.
How to check whether a Yodel text is genuine
Don't tap any link in the message. If you're expecting a delivery, look up the tracking number in the confirmation email from the shop you ordered from, then visit the official yodel.co.uk site or app by typing the address in yourself and entering the tracking number. The genuine tracking page will show your parcel without ever asking for payment or card details. If nothing matches, treat the text as a scam. You can also contact the retailer directly to confirm which courier is handling your order and whether anything is actually out for delivery.
Remember that a real courier never needs your full card number, PIN, online banking password, or a one-time passcode to complete a delivery.
What to do if you interacted with a Yodel scam text
- Call your bank immediately on the number printed on your card and tell them you may have entered card details on a fake site; ask them to freeze the card and watch for fraud.
- Change any password or security detail you typed in, and treat one-time codes you shared as compromised.
- Expect a possible follow-up call pretending to be your bank — hang up and call back on the official number. Your bank will never tell you to move money to a 'safe account'.
- Save the text and any receipt as evidence before reporting.
- Keep an eye on your statements and credit file for anything you don't recognise.
How to report a Yodel scam text in the UK
Forward the message free to 7726, the spam-reporting shortcode that lets your mobile network investigate and block the sender, then delete it. If you've lost money or handed over details, report it to Action Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101). Suspicious links and phishing pages can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre, and you can alert Yodel through the contact or security section of their official website so they can take down the fake domains. Reporting takes a minute and helps protect the next person who receives the same text.
Frequently asked questions
Does Yodel charge a fee to redeliver a parcel?
No. Yodel does not charge the recipient a fee to reattempt a standard delivery, and it won't ask for payment through a link in a text. A message demanding a small 'redelivery' or 'release' fee to free your parcel is a scam built to harvest your card details. To check a delivery, use the tracking number from your order confirmation on the official yodel.co.uk site rather than any link in the text.
How can I tell a real Yodel text from a scam?
A genuine Yodel text relates to a parcel you're actually expecting and links to the real yodel.co.uk for tracking; it never requests a fee, your card number, or a banking code. Scam texts come from random numbers, use lookalike web addresses, and pressure you to pay or 'confirm' details quickly. If in doubt, don't tap the link — type yodel.co.uk in yourself and enter the tracking number to check.
I entered my details on a Yodel link — what now?
Contact your bank right away using the number on the back of your card, say you entered details on a scam site, and ask them to block the card and monitor for fraud. Change any passwords or codes you shared. Be wary of a follow-up call claiming to be your bank's fraud team — that's part of the scam. Report what happened to Action Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
Where do I report a fake Yodel text?
Forward it free to 7726 so your network can act on the sender, then delete the message. If money or details were lost, report to Action Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland). You can also report the phishing site to the NCSC and notify Yodel via their official website.