Skip to main content

Courier delivery scams

Courier delivery scams are circulating New Zealand, impersonating delivery companies and getting people to send personal or financial details.

Share this

Last Updated30/07/2024

Courier delivery scams

With the increase in online shopping, more opportunistic scammers are targeting internet users by sending emails and text messages that impersonate delivery companies. These are known as parcel delivery scams. They are designed to obtain personal or financial details from the recipients.

Variations include messages claiming that you:

  • Have won a prize.
  • Have won a new phone.
  • Have been selected to participate in a survey.
  • Need to pay customs duty on a package you ordered.

If you have received a scam email or text message, you can contact Netsafe seven days a week for free, confidential and non-judgmental advice.

Report online Click to fill out an online reporting form: https://report.netsafe.org.nz/hc/en-au/requests/newEmail [email protected] Click to email a report to Netsafe: help@netsafe.org.nzText 'Netsafe' to 4282 Click to text a report to Netsafe on 4282Call 0508 638 723 8am-8pm weekdays, 9am-5pm weekends Click to phone the Netsafe helpline on 0508 638 723New Zealanders overseas can call +64 9 666 0840 Click to phone the Netsafe helpline on 0508 638 723

How do parcel and courier delivery scams work?

Scammers often send emails or text messages to multiple people, tricking them into believing they are relevant. These messages typically direct you to a scam website and request your payment details.

If it is a text message, it may even download a malicious app to your phone that can steal your information.

Common tactics include:

  • Claiming an organisation like NZ Post or DHL attempted to deliver a parcel and asking you to click a link to rearrange delivery.
  • Asking you to approve a pickup time for a package via a link, which then takes you through a process to pay a small customs fee. Large unauthorised withdrawals may follow for those who pay.

Be aware

New Zealand Customs does not contact individuals or businesses about paying customs duty. Imported goods are handled by licensed freight forwarders, not New Zealand Customs.

Any text or email purporting to be from New Zealand Customs and requesting payment is a scam.

How do scammers get your details?

Scammers may use information such as names or physical addresses from publicly available records, or from data breaches. You may want to check if your email has been compromised in some of the larger data breaches by using Have I Been Pwned. Netsafe is not affiliated with this website and cannot verify its information.

How common are delivery scams?

There is often a spike in this type of delivery scam around the Black Friday/Cyber Monday and Christmas, when more people shop online and expect packages to be delivered. This makes it potentially more likely someone will fall for it.

Solutions and support

Read on for top tips of what to do if you've received a courier delivery scam message.

If you've received a scam text:

  • Do not respond or open any links included in the message.
  • Contact the named organisation using their publicly listed phone number if you believe the message might be genuine.
  • If the message is not genuine, use your mobile phone’s features to block the sender.
  • Forward the scam text to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) at 7726.
  • Report any app download requests to CERT NZ and delete the scam text message.

If you've downloaded a malicious app:

If you clicked the link:

If you've received a scam email:

  • Do not respond or click on any links in the email.
  • Contact the named organisation directly if you believe the message might be genuine.
  • Block the scammer’s email address by marking the email as junk your email filter will learn to redirect emails from that scammer’s email address away from your inbox.

If you've received a scam email link:

  • Close the scam webpage.
  • Check for malware on your device using a free online scanner.
  • Contact your phone company for advice if you opened the link on your mobile, which may require a factory reset.

For PC: ESET online scanner or Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool (please note that this link will automatically download the removal tool.) After this scan has been completed, you can run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware free edition.

For Mac: Bitdefender Antivirus for MAC or ESET Cyber Security for Mac or AVG Antivirus for Mac are good alternatives

What to do if you've shared personal information or bank details:

Report courier delivery scams

If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam, inform your friends and family to help them avoid falling victim.

You can contact Netsafe seven days a week for free, confidential and non-judgmental advice about an online issue impacting you or someone you know.

Whilst we cannot investigate or track scammers, we can provide advice on steps you can take to stay safe and what to do if you think you’ve been scammed.

Report online Click to fill out an online reporting form: https://report.netsafe.org.nz/hc/en-au/requests/newEmail [email protected] Click to email a report to Netsafe: help@netsafe.org.nzText 'Netsafe' to 4282 Click to text a report to Netsafe on 4282Call 0508 638 723 8am-8pm weekdays, 9am-5pm weekends Click to phone the Netsafe helpline on 0508 638 723New Zealanders overseas can call +64 9 666 0840 Click to phone the Netsafe helpline on 0508 638 723

Spot A Scam

Identifying whether a website is real, or fake can be challenging.

We've created the ‘CheckNetsafe’ Anti-Scam Tool, which helps you determine the legitimacy of a website or link.