An Post SMS Scam – Delivery Fee Fraud
High RiskGot a message, call or offer like this?
Take your time. Treat it as a scam until you have checked it yourself.
- Don't tap links, reply, or ring numbers it gives you. On a call, hang up.
- Don't pay, and don't share card details, PINs, passwords or codes.
- Check with whoever it claims to be, using contact details you find yourself.
Overview
A fraudulent SMS claims to be from An Post, asking recipients to pay a small fee (usually €1-3) to release a delivery. The link leads to a convincing fake An Post website designed to steal your card details. This is one of the most common scams in Ireland.
Watch: The An Post €1.99 text scam
Nora shows the three red flags in this text, and the one thing to do. 51 seconds, with captions on screen.
More short scam alerts on our YouTube channel. Animated by Safe & Secure Ireland with an AI narrator voice and AI-assisted artwork; every fact checked by a person.
Read the transcript
Would you pay €1.99 to get your parcel?
This text says it's from An Post. Your parcel is waiting. Just tap the link and pay.
Meet the Chancer. He sends the same text to thousands of phones, hoping someone is expecting a parcel.
Tap the link, and you're on a fake An Post page. Type in your card, and it's his.
But Nora has seen this one before.
Three red flags.
1. It's from a random mobile number.
2. A fee, asked for in a text.
3. The link isn't anpost.com.
An Post says it will never text you a link asking for payment.
So don't tap. Type anpost.com in yourself. Already paid? Ring your bank, straight away.
Send this to someone who shops online.
What This Scam Looks Like
Tap a highlighted part to see why it's suspicious. Every red flag is also listed under the message.
AN POST: Your package is waiting for delivery. Please confirm the shipping fee (€1.992: red flag 2, show whyAn Post never requests fees via SMS links) to receive your parcel: https://anpost-ie-delivery.com/track3: red flag 3, show whyFake URL! Real An Post website is anpost.com
Red flags in this message
- 1
Sender: +353 89 XXX 4521
Random mobile number - An Post uses official sender IDs, not random numbers
- 2
“€1.99”
An Post never requests fees via SMS links
- 3
“https://anpost-ie-delivery.com/track”
Fake URL! Real An Post website is anpost.com
Typical Targets
- •Anyone expecting a delivery
- •Online shoppers
- •People who don't track their parcels closely
- •Anyone with a mobile phone
Why This Scam Works
- •Most people order things online regularly
- •Small amounts don't seem worth questioning
- •Fake websites look very convincing
- •Creates urgency ("parcel returning to sender")
- •An Post is a trusted brand
Example
A Sligo woman received a text: "An Post: Your package is waiting for delivery. Please confirm the fee (€1.99) at: [link]". She entered her card details on what looked like the An Post site. Over the next week, €4,200 in fraudulent transactions appeared on her account including purchases from Amazon, Apple, and various gambling sites.
* An illustration of how this scam works, not from a victim case we hold.
How to Avoid This Scam
- An Post NEVER asks for delivery fees via SMS links
- Track parcels only at anpost.com directly
- Check the sender number – scam texts often come from random numbers
- If you didn't order anything, delete the text
- Legitimate customs fees are handled differently
- Mark the text as spam and block the sender
- A reader sent us the same scam using DPD's name in October 2026. It asks you to update your address after a "failed delivery". The DPD "delivery attempt failed" text
If You've Been Caught Out
Don't panic – take these steps immediately:
- 1Contact your bank immediately to cancel your card
- 2Request a chargeback for fraudulent transactions
- 3Report to An Garda Síochána
- 4Report to An Post at [email protected]
- 5Keep a screenshot of the text to show your bank and the Gardaí
- 6Monitor your bank statements closely
* This information is for guidance only. Always seek professional advice for your specific situation.
Who to Contact for Help
Your Bank
Check your card
Cancel card immediately
An Post
01 705 7600
Verify delivery status
An Garda Síochána
Local station
Report the fraud
New scams, as they appear
New scam warnings and safety tips, as we publish them.