DHL scam email: package delivery fee

Reported as phishing

This email was reported as phishing in October 2026. It claims to come from: DHL. It was aimed at International and written in English.

This email was reported as phishing. It uses the DHL name and look, but it did not come from DHL. If you have an account, DHL is not asking you to act through this email.

This email uses the DHL name and claims your package has reached a facility and is being prepared for delivery. Before the final delivery, it says, you must pay a small administrative fee to release the parcel. It points you to a "Track your package" button where payment can be done "quickly and securely". The greeting is just "Hello", it gives no shipment details, and it is signed by a vague "Shipping Department".

Most people are waiting for some parcel, and a small fee feels harmless, so paying looks easier than checking. The best tell is the request itself: a fee before delivery, asked for by email, with a button that leads to a site that is not DHL's. A real carrier would not hold your parcel for an unexplained fee sent by email.

• Aimed at: International
• Month reported: October 2026
• Email language: English

What the email looks like

Re-typed from the original with personal details removed. This is not the original email. This was a button in the original email. Here it is only a picture of the text and does nothing.

Subject line

• DHL: action needed on your shipment.
• Action needed: release your DHL package

Red flags

• Sender address is not on a DHL domain
• Asks for a fee before delivery
• Tracking "number" is a button that leads to a non-DHL site
• Generic greeting ("Hello"), no sender or shipment details
• Email was addressed to other people, not to you

Links in the email (shown as plain text)

Links are defanged: "hxxp" and "[.]" stop them from working. Never retype them or copy them into your browser.

What to do

1. Do not click the tracking button or any link in the email, and do not reply.
2. Do not open attachments. Never type a password, card number or code on a page you reached from this email.
3. If you are unsure, go to the carrier yourself by typing its address or using its official app, not through the email.
4. Check a parcel only on the carrier's official website or app, with the tracking number the shop you ordered from gave you.
5. Mark the email as phishing or spam in your mail app, then delete it.
6. If you already paid or entered details, contact your bank about the card. If you entered a password, change it now and turn on two-step sign-in.

How to report it

In your mail app, use "Report phishing" or "Report junk" so the app learns to block similar emails. You can also forward the email to the real company's abuse or security team, using an address from its official website. If you lost money, report it to your bank and to your local police.

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These emails did not come from the companies or services they name. Brand names belong to their owners and are shown only to help you recognise the scam.