Royal Mail scams
Fake Royal Mail texts and emails ask you to pay a fee or enter bank details on non-Royal Mail sites. Royal Mail says it asks for underpaid postage with a grey 'Fee to Pay' card.
Check a Royal Mail linkHow to report a Royal Mail scam
- Forward the email, or send a screenshot of the text message: [email protected]
- Forward the text to report it to your mobile provider (free): text 7726
- Report scam letters that came through your letterbox: https://www.royalmail.com/reporting-scam-mail
- Citizens Advice, for scam mail through your letterbox: 0808 223 1133
Then get the fake site taken down: report the phishing link.
What Royal Mail says
- Royal Mail says it only contacts you by email or text if the sender asked for tracking updates when posting the item.
- Royal Mail says it will not ask for payment for an underpaid item by email or text. It leaves a grey 'Fee to Pay' card. It may also send a text or email about customs fees if the sender gave your contact details.
- Royal Mail says it will not ask for your bank details, passwords or personal data. It will also not ask you to enter information on a website that is not part of Royal Mail.
- Royal Mail says it does not send email attachments unless you asked for them.
- Royal Mail's scam examples include texts saying your item was 'returned to our local facility' or is 'at our warehouse', and emails asking for a customs fee. In every example, the link goes to a non-Royal Mail website.
Royal Mail's own warning page: Help with online security │ Royal Mail Group Ltd
What fake Royal Mail messages look like
- Texts saying your item was returned to a local facility or is held at a warehouse
- Emails asking for a customs fee, or pretending to be HMRC or customs
- Failed delivery or "address incomplete" emails asking you to reschedule through a link
Real Royal Mail websites end in
- royalmail.com
Other brands scammers copy
Checked against Royal Mail's own pages on 2026-10-19 (first published 2026-10-10): 1, 2, 3. Not affiliated with Royal Mail.