DPD Scam: Fake Delivery Texts, Driver Calls and Redelivery Fees

A DPD scam is a fake text, email or call that copies the parcel company DPD’s delivery updates to trick you into paying a small redelivery fee, handing over card details or calling a costly number. Genuine DPD messages normally relate to an order you placed and let you manage the delivery through DPD’s official app or website. If a message asks you to pay to rebook, confirm your card or install something from a link, don’t. Forward texts to 7726 and emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

DPD is known for sending detailed delivery updates, such as a time window on the day or options to change where a parcel goes. Scammers copy that style because people are used to acting on it. If you’ve already tapped a link or paid, you haven’t done anything unusual, and there are practical steps to take now.

Why DPD scam texts look so convincing

Most courier scams send a vague “we missed you” message. DPD scams often go further, because DPD’s real messages are more detailed. Fake texts may copy the tone of a genuine update: a named driver, a delivery window, a choice of options such as a new day, a safe place or a pickup shop. The only difference is where the link goes and what it asks you to do.

That’s why the Evri and Royal Mail versions of this scam, covered in our guides to the Evri scam and the Royal Mail scam, can feel easier to spot. The DPD version often looks like a normal part of an online order, and some people receive it on the same day a real DPD parcel is due, simply by chance.

Genuine DPD messages versus scam messages

Couriers change their message formats, so treat this as a general guide rather than a checklist.

Usually genuine	Usually a scam
Relates to an order you placed with a retailer, often naming the retailer	No retailer mentioned, or a parcel you don’t recognize
A tracking number that matches the one in the retailer’s confirmation	No tracking number, or one that shows nothing in DPD’s official app
Options to change the day, a safe place or a pickup point	A demand for a small fee to “release” or redeliver the parcel
You can do the same thing by opening DPD’s official app or website yourself	You’re told to act only through the link, often within hours
Import charges shown through official channels when you’re buying from abroad	A customs fee on a parcel from a UK seller, or a fee you can’t find anywhere official
No request for your card security code or bank passcode to rebook	A page asking for your full card details, date of birth or a one-time code

The simple test: close the message, open DPD’s official app or type its website address yourself, and enter the tracking number from your retailer. If the problem is real, it will be there.

Common versions of the DPD scam

• The “choose a new slot” text. It says your delivery couldn’t be completed and asks you to pick a new time, then charges a small fee for the privilege.
• The “your driver is nearby” message. It copies a same-day update and says the driver needs you to confirm your address or pay something before the parcel can be handed over.
• The calling card with a phone number. A card through the door, or a voicemail, tells you to call a number about a parcel. The number may be premium rate or lead to someone who asks for payment details.
• A call from “your DPD driver”. The caller says they’re outside or at a depot and need a fee, or a code sent to your phone, to finish the delivery. That code is usually for one of your accounts.
• Fake customs or import charges. A message says duty or tax is owing on your parcel. Real import charges exist for some goods bought from abroad, which is exactly why this version works.
• “Download our app” links. A text asks you to install an app from a link to track your parcel. Installing apps from links outside the official app store can put harmful software on your phone.
• Business account phishing. If you run a small business that ships with DPD, an email may say your account is suspended or an invoice is overdue, linking to a fake sign-in page.

Our guide to smishing explains the wider pattern behind scam texts, and our guide to package delivery scams covers the international couriers.

What to do if you got the message but didn’t click

1. Don’t tap the link, call the number or reply. A reply confirms your number is in use.
2. Forward the text to 7726, a free service that reports it to your mobile network, and forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
3. Check any parcel you’re expecting through DPD’s official app or website, or the retailer’s order page.
4. Delete the message once you’ve reported it.

What to do right now if you clicked, paid or called

1. Call your bank or card provider, using the number on your card or in your banking app, or call 159, which connects you to many UK banks’ fraud lines. Say you entered card details on a scam site and ask them to block the card.
2. Check your account for payments you don’t recognize, including small test amounts and new cards added to digital wallets.
3. If you installed an app from a link, delete it, run your phone’s security checks and change passwords for important accounts from a different device. Our guide on what to do if your phone has been hacked covers this in more detail.
4. If you gave a code to a “driver”, assume the related account is at risk. Change its password and sign out other sessions straight away.
5. Hang up on any follow-up “bank” or “police” call. Call your bank back on a number you find yourself. Never move money to a “safe account”.
6. If you called a premium-rate number, check your phone bill and contact your mobile network if you see charges you didn’t expect.
7. If you shared personal details, our guide to identity theft in the UK explains how to check your credit file and when Cifas Protective Registration is worth considering.

Where to report a DPD scam

• Texts: forward them to 7726.
• Emails: forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk, the National Cyber Security Centre’s reporting service, which can take down scam websites.
• DPD: its official website has information on scams and how to tell it about fake messages. Reach it by typing the address yourself.
• Report Fraud: if you lost money or shared card or bank details, report to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk, which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our guide on how to report to Report Fraud explains the change. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.

For every reporting route in one place, see our guide on how to report a scammer.

Will you get your money back?

If you paid a fake fee by card and report it quickly, your card provider can often block the card and investigate fraudulent transactions, though the result depends on the details. If a follow-up caller persuaded you to make a bank transfer, UK rules introduced in October 2024 mean many victims of authorized push payment scams can get their money back, with some exceptions. Report it to your bank as soon as possible.

If your bank says no, make a formal complaint, then take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free. Ignore anyone offering to recover your money for a fee; those offers are usually recovery scams.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real case. Owen runs a small online shop and ships most orders with DPD. One morning he’s expecting a delivery of stock and gets a text: “DPD: your driver was unable to deliver. Select a new time slot here. A small rebooking charge applies.”

1. The timing feels right, so Owen taps the link. The page looks like DPD’s and offers a choice of delivery slots.
2. When he picks a slot, it asks for his full card details and date of birth. Owen stops: he’s never paid DPD to rebook a delivery before.
3. He closes the page and opens the official DPD app. His stock delivery is on its way, due that afternoon, with no failed attempt.
4. He forwards the text to 7726. Later that week, an email arrives saying his DPD business account is “on hold”. He signs in through the official site instead of the link, finds nothing wrong, and forwards the email to report@phishing.gov.uk.

Owen didn’t enter his card details, so there was nothing to cancel. If he had, calling his bank straight away and reporting to Report Fraud would have been the next steps.

How to protect yourself next time

• Install DPD’s official app from your phone’s official app store if you get lots of deliveries, and check parcels there rather than through texts.
• Keep your order confirmations so you can match tracking numbers.
• Turn on spam filtering for texts and payment alerts in your banking app.
• Never read out a code to a driver, courier or anyone else who calls you.
• If you’re a business shipper, sign in to courier accounts only by typing the address yourself, and turn on two-step verification where offered.

If scammers are using your shop’s name in fake delivery messages, or customers are posting complaints about texts that didn’t come from you, our brand monitoring service can help you spot impersonation early, and our guide on online impersonation covers what to do about it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming a text is real because you’re expecting a DPD parcel. Scammers send the same message to huge numbers of people.
• Paying a small fee to avoid hassle. The fee is bait for your card details.
• Calling the number on an unfamiliar card or voicemail. Look up DPD’s contact details yourself.
• Installing an app from a text link. Use your phone’s official app store.
• Waiting to tell your bank. The sooner the card is blocked, the less can be taken.

Frequently asked questions

Does DPD charge a redelivery fee?

A text or email asking you to pay a small fee through a link to rebook a DPD delivery is a common scam pattern. Check your parcel in DPD’s official app or on its website, using the tracking number from your retailer. If something genuinely needs your attention, it will show there.

How can I tell if a DPD text is real?

Don’t judge by how it looks, because scam texts copy DPD’s style closely. Close the message and check your parcel through DPD’s official app or website with the tracking number from your order confirmation. If the details don’t match, treat the text as a scam.

What should I do if I paid a fake DPD fee?

Call your bank on the number on your card, or call 159, and ask it to block the card. Watch for follow-up calls claiming to be your bank, forward the text to 7726 and report to Report Fraud, or Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland.

Is a call from a DPD driver asking for a code a scam?

Yes, treat it as one. A delivery driver has no reason to ask for a code sent to your phone. Those codes are usually for signing in to your accounts. Hang up and check your delivery in DPD’s official app.