Direct answer
You already know which courier is carrying your parcel, because the retailer told you. Your order confirmation names the courier and gives you the waybill or tracking number. That document is the anchor, and it defeats most delivery scams on its own: a message from a courier the retailer never used is answering itself, and a message about a parcel you are not expecting needs no further examination. Track through the retailer’s order page or the courier’s own site, typed in yourself. Verified 18 August 2026.
Why delivery messages are the most effective bait
Almost everyone has a parcel in transit at some point, and delivery messages are genuinely frequent, short and full of links. A fraudulent one does not have to be clever. It only has to arrive in a week when you happen to be expecting something.
- Real delivery messages contain links, so a link is not itself suspicious, unlike in a banking message.
- Tracking numbers look like noise. Nobody memorises them, so a fabricated one passes inspection.
- The stakes seem trivial. A small release fee feels easier to pay than to query, which is the entire economic model.
- The consequence is immediate and plausible. A parcel returned to sender in 24 hours is a believable threat in a way that most scam consequences are not.
How to check a delivery message
- Open your order confirmation first, not the message. It names the courier and carries the genuine waybill number.
- Compare the courier. If the message names a different company from the one the retailer used, stop there.
- Compare the tracking number against the one in your confirmation, character by character.
- Track from the retailer’s order page or by typing the courier’s own address, never by tapping the link in the message.
- If you are not expecting a parcel, treat the message as fraudulent without further analysis.
What genuine couriers publish
Courier channels vary, so take the details from the courier’s own site rather than assuming. PAXI, for example, publishes a call centre on 086 000 7294 and a WhatsApp channel on +27 21 010 1574, and tells customers they will receive SMS updates through the parcel journey and can track on its website or by calling.
The useful principle is that a courier’s published channels are finite and listed in one place. If a number contacting you is not among them, it is not that courier, regardless of the branding on the profile.
The requests that give it away
- A small fee to release, reschedule or clear the parcel, paid by card on a linked page. Domestic deliveries you have already paid for do not attract release fees.
- Card details entered into a tracking page. Tracking never requires payment information.
- A one-time password to confirm delivery. No courier needs an OTP from your bank.
- A request to move to WhatsApp with a driver or agent to arrange payment.
- An app to install so the courier can locate you.
Where to report
| Route | Contact | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| Your bank | The number on the back of your card | Stopping or disputing a payment, first priority |
| The retailer | Its own verified contact route | The real delivery, and the courier it contracted |
| The courier | Its own published call centre | Reporting impersonation of its brand |
| SAPS | 10111, or any station | The criminal case and case number |
| SAFPS | 011 867 2234 | Protective Registration if ID details were shared |
Report to the retailer as well as the courier. The retailer holds the contract and is usually the party that can actually locate your parcel or replace it.
What to prepare
- Your order number and the retailer’s name.
- The genuine waybill or tracking number from your confirmation.
- The message, with its sending number and any link, kept rather than deleted.
- Proof of any payment, with amount, time and beneficiary.
- The delivery address as it appears on the order.
What not to share
- Card numbers, PINs or CVV codes on a page you reached from a delivery message.
- One-time passwords, which no delivery requires.
- Your ID number, which a domestic parcel does not need.
- Remote access to your device.
If the issue is not resolved
Raise the delivery itself with the retailer in writing, since it contracted the courier and carries responsibility for getting the goods to you. Where money was taken, lodge a written dispute with your bank quoting your SAPS case number, and escalate to the National Financial Ombud if the bank’s own process does not resolve it, after confirming jurisdiction. Consumer protection routes may apply to the underlying purchase, so confirm eligibility rather than assuming it. No route guarantees recovery of a card payment made on a fraudulent page.
Related contact pages
- Fake Delivery Fee SMS South Africa: the release-fee demand in detail.
- Should You Pay a Courier Fee by Link: when a payment request can ever be legitimate.
- Fake Courier WhatsApp Number: checking a courier WhatsApp contact.
- Parcel Tracking Contact Number South Africa: tracking through official channels.
- Courier Contact Details South Africa: published courier routes.
Frequently asked questions
I am expecting a parcel. How do I tell the real message from the fake?
Compare the courier name and tracking number against your order confirmation, then track from the retailer’s order page rather than the message link. If either the courier or the number differs, the message is not about your parcel.
Should I ever pay a delivery fee by link?
Not from an unsolicited message. If a charge is genuinely due, it will be visible on the retailer’s order page or through the courier’s own site, which you reach by typing the address yourself.
What information should I prepare?
Your order number and retailer, the genuine waybill number, the message with its sending number and link, proof of any payment, and the delivery address as it appears on the order.
What should I do if I cannot get help?
Pursue the retailer in writing for the parcel itself, and your bank in writing for the payment, quoting your SAPS case number. Escalate to the National Financial Ombud if the bank does not resolve it, after confirming that your matter falls within its mandate.
Last verified 18 August 2026 against paxi.co.za, saps.gov.za and safps.org.za.