TL;DR: Fake DPD texts and emails say a parcel couldn’t be delivered and ask for a small fee to rearrange it. The fee is the hook; days later a “bank fraud team” calls about suspicious activity and talks you into moving money to a “safe account.” DPD says it never asks for money or bank details, and genuine emails come only from dpd.co.uk, dpdlocal.co.uk or dpdgroup.co.uk. Forward texts to 7726 and emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
The two-step scam
A police fraud alert laid out how it works:
- A text or email says your parcel couldn’t be delivered because you weren’t in or there was no safe place.
- A link leads to a lookalike site asking for a small payment to rearrange delivery.
- A few days later, you get a call or text that appears to be from your bank, warning of suspicious transactions. The number is spoofed.
- The “bank” persuades you to move your money to a “secure account” they control. Sometimes they collect enough details to take out loans in your name.
In one wave the alert reported £242,000 lost, with suspicious DPD emails jumping 655% in a single month. The £1.45 fee was never the point; it was a key to your bank card and your trust.
How to tell if it’s really DPD
- DPD never asks for money or bank details by text or email.
- Genuine DPD emails come only from dpd.co.uk, dpdlocal.co.uk or dpdgroup.co.uk.
- Real tracking happens in the DPD app or on dpd.co.uk with your parcel number.
- Lookalike addresses (dpd-redelivery.com, dpdparcels-uk.net) are fake.
Christmas is peak season for these. If you’re expecting several parcels, it’s easy to believe one went astray.
What to do
- Don’t click. Check deliveries in the DPD app or by typing dpd.co.uk.
- Forward texts to 7726 and emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you paid the fee
- Call your bank on the number on your card, or dial 159, and cancel the card.
- Be ready for the follow-up call. Any call about “suspicious activity” in the next week: hang up and call 159 yourself (how 159 works).
- Report it to Report Fraud (it replaced Action Fraud in 2026).
Other couriers, same trick
We’ve covered Royal Mail, Evri and DHL versions too. A free email exposure check shows if your contact details are in breach data, which is how these lists are built.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DPD ask for a redelivery fee by text?
No. DPD says it never asks for money or bank details by text or email.
What email addresses does DPD use?
Genuine DPD emails come only from dpd.co.uk, dpdlocal.co.uk or dpdgroup.co.uk.
I paid a small fee on a fake DPD site. What now?
Call your bank or 159 to cancel the card, and treat any follow-up "bank" call as suspicious.
Where do I report a fake DPD text?
Forward it to 7726. Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.