Package delivery and customs scams

How fake delivery-fee and customs-payment messages are used to capture card details.

By AlertaSpam Security Team. Published August 7, 2026

The typical pretext is a text or email claiming your package is being 'held' — by customs, by the courier, or due to an unpaid small fee — with a link to 'release' it by paying a few euros or dollars.

The small amount is deliberate: it's low enough that people pay without much thought, while the fake payment page captures the full card number, expiry, and security code, which can then be used or sold for larger fraud.

Real customs charges are normally invoiced by your national postal service through an official letter or app, or collected on delivery — they are essentially never requested by SMS link with extreme time pressure ('pay within a few hours or the package is returned').

If you're expecting a delivery, check its status directly through the courier's official app or website using the tracking number from your original order confirmation — not through a link in the message — and look up any unfamiliar domain on AlertaSpam before entering payment details anywhere.