Fake courier scam: parcel held, customs fee, OTP and delivery link check

What this fake courier scam guide helps you decide

Courier scam pattern checklist

• Parcel held pressure: the message says a parcel is stuck, returned, seized, undeliverable, address-incomplete, or blocked at customs unless you act now.
• Small fee bait: a tiny redelivery fee, customs fee, warehouse fee, GST adjustment, insurance charge, or clearance payment is used to make card or UPI entry feel harmless.
• OTP or PIN demand: the caller asks for courier OTP, payment OTP, UPI PIN, card OTP, Aadhaar OTP, or account-verification code to release, cancel, or redirect the parcel.
• Fake delivery link: the URL is shortened, misspelled, hosted on a non-official domain, copied from a brand template, or sent through WhatsApp instead of the official courier route.
• Brand impersonation: the message borrows India Post, DHL, FedEx, Blue Dart, customs, police, airport, marketplace, or warehouse language but cannot be verified on the official waybill page.
• Escalation call: after you hesitate, another person claims to be courier security, customs, police, cyber cell, bank staff, or refund support and asks for payment or screen sharing.
• APK or remote access: any instruction to install an APK, update delivery through a file, share screen, or allow remote support is a hard stop.

Fee, OTP and link proof table

India Post, DHL, FedEx and Blue Dart impersonation checks

What to do if the courier scam is active

1. Do not continue inside the message thread

   Close the link or call. Do not enter OTP, UPI PIN, CVV, password, Aadhaar details, PAN, card data, or install any APK.

2. Verify the shipment from the real channel

   Open the official courier website or app yourself. Use the waybill/tracking number, expected sender, invoice, and marketplace order page to check whether the parcel exists.

3. Contact the payment provider if money moved

   Use your bank, wallet, UPI app, or card issuer from the official app/card number. Ask for fraud complaint, transaction hold, dispute, card block, or beneficiary freeze options where applicable.

4. Call 1930 for recent financial cyber fraud

   Use the 1930 helpline guide to prepare amount, date, time, UTR, receiver details, sender number, URL, and screenshots.

5. File the formal complaint

   Use cybercrime.gov.in for the complaint trail. If the scam came through call, SMS, or WhatsApp, also report the suspected fraud communication through Sanchar Saathi Chakshu.

6. Report the impersonated courier channel

   Use the courier's official fraud or support channel when available, especially for fake websites, suspicious SMS, WhatsApp accounts, social accounts, or support numbers using the brand.

Evidence to save before deleting anything

• Full SMS, WhatsApp message, email, caller number, sender ID, social profile, search result, support number, and date/time.
• Full URL, expanded final URL, tracking page screenshot, fake domain, form fields, APK file name, and redirect chain if visible.
• Courier brand claimed, waybill/tracking number, expected parcel details, marketplace order page, invoice, and official tracking result.
• Payment proof, amount, UTR, transaction ID, card charge, UPI ID, QR, bank account, wallet, beneficiary name, and complaint ticket numbers.
• OTP text, call recordings where lawful, chat screenshots, threat messages, police/customs claims, and any remote-access instructions.
• A short timeline: how the message arrived, what you clicked, what you entered, what money/access changed, and when you reported it.

Use these checks before the next click

What ScamScan can and cannot do