Stay Sharp This Season: How to Avoid Christmas Parcel Delivery Fraud Scams

Christmas is meant to be a season of warmth, generosity, and excitement, especially when parcels start arriving at the door. 

But as online shopping reaches its annual peak, so does the risk of falling for parcel delivery scams.

Fraudsters know that most of us are expecting gifts, last-minute purchases, and festive treats, making it the perfect time to strike.

Here’s how to stay one step ahead and keep your Christmas safe from scammers.

Why Parcel Scams Surge at Christmas

December is the busiest month of the year for Royal Mail, couriers, and online retailers. Scammers exploit this by sending fake texts, emails, and social media messages claiming a parcel can’t be delivered unless you pay a fee, update your details, or click a link.

The idea is simple: catch you when you're distracted, busy, or genuinely waiting for deliveries.

Common Christmas Parcel Delivery Scams

1. “You Need to Pay a Small Fee” Texts

Messages claiming you owe £1.50 or £2.99 to release a parcel are a classic. The link leads to a fake site where your card details are harvested.

2. Fake “We Missed You” Emails

These mimic Royal Mail, DPD, Evri, or Amazon delivery updates. Clicking the link may install malware or direct you to a phishing page.

3. Social Media “Tracking Portals”

Fraudulent posts circulate every December offering “global parcel tracking” or “lost parcel checking tools”. They are not legitimate.

4. Parcel “Redirection” Scams

You may receive a message asking you to rebook delivery or confirm your address. Again, it leads to a bogus page collecting personal data.

5. Scammers at the Door

Very rarely, someone may turn up claiming a parcel requires a cash surcharge. No legitimate courier will ask for unexpected payment on the doorstep.

How to Spot a Scam Quickly

Check the sender carefully

Is the number unfamiliar or oddly formatted?

Does the email come from a strange domain (e.g., royalmail-tracking-uk.co instead of royalmail.com)?

Look for spelling mistakes or odd wording

Scammers often rush messages, resulting in errors or clunky phrasing.

Never click unexpected links

If you weren’t expecting the message, ignore it.

Use official tracking only

Manually type the courier’s website into your browser and track from there.

Royal Mail never texts you asking for payment

Neither do Amazon, DPD, Evri, or any reputable courier.

What To Do If You Receive a Suspicious Message

Do not click the link.

Forward scam texts to 7726 (free UK service to report spam).

Forward scam emails to:

report@phishing.gov.uk

Delete the message.

If you’ve clicked the link or entered details:

Contact your bank immediately.

Change your passwords.

Run antivirus checks if you downloaded anything.

Safe Ways to Keep Track of Your Real Parcels

Use retailer order histories (Amazon, John Lewis, Argos, etc.).

Sign up for official courier apps.

Use live tracking only from the retailer who sold the item.

Keep your delivery notifications in one place so you don’t confuse genuine alerts with scam attempts.

Christmas parcel scams thrive because they rely on urgency, excitement, and distraction. But with a little caution and awareness, you can protect yourself and your family from fraudsters trying to cash in on the festive season.

Stay alert, shop safely, and may every parcel that comes your way be a genuine bit of Christmas joy.