I got a text from a courier asking for a fee to release my package. Is that a scam?
Almost always, yes. Real couriers do not ask you to pay a fee through a link in a text to release a package; the link leads to a fake page that takes your card or GCash details, or the "fee" is the start of a bigger package scam. Check your order in the official app or site, not through the link.
These texts are sent to millions of numbers. They work because most people are waiting for something. The fee is small, 50 or 100 pesos, so you pay without thinking, and the page then asks for an OTP or more details. If a foreigner you met online "sent you a gift", the fee text is part of that scam.
What to do
- Do not click the link. Open the courier's official app or website and search your tracking number there.
- Look at the sender: a random mobile number or a strange domain is a sign.
- Never pay a fee or enter an OTP on a page you reached from a text.
- If you are not expecting a package at all, delete the message.
- If you already entered card or GCash details, change your MPIN and contact GCash or your bank.
Frequently asked questions
- The text has my name and a real-looking tracking number. Is it real?
- Names and tracking numbers leak from shops and are easy to guess. Check in the official app only.
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