If you received a text saying your India Post parcel is "on hold due to an incomplete address" with a link to fix it, delete it. India Post does not send these messages. On 1 October 2026, Rajasthan Police's cyber crime branch issued a fresh advisory about this exact scam, and with festive orders and gifts moving through the post this month, it is a good time to understand how it works so the next version does not catch you.
What the message looks like
The wording changes, but the shape stays the same. A message arrives by SMS, WhatsApp or email, sometimes followed by a call. It says a parcel, often described as containing documents or something valuable, could not be delivered because the address is wrong or incomplete. It warns that the parcel will be returned unless you update the address quickly, usually within 24 or 48 hours. Then comes a link.
The advisory reported by Punjab Kesari, issued by the Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), V.K. Singh, says scammers use the names of India Post, Speed Post and major courier companies, and that some messages carry APK files, which are Android app installers.
How the scam actually takes your money
Knowing the mechanics is what makes you immune, so here is the sequence.
1. Urgency gets you to click
A deadline and the fear of losing a parcel push you to act before you think. Many of us are genuinely expecting something during the festive season, so the message feels plausible.
2. A convincing fake page
The link opens a site built to look like a postal or courier portal: logo, tracking number, a form for your address. Nothing about the page itself tells you it is fake. The web address is the only real clue.
3. A tiny fee
The site asks for a small "address correction" or "redelivery" fee: ₹10, ₹25 or ₹50, according to the advisory. Small amounts lower your guard. Nobody thinks hard about ₹25.
4. The real target: your payment details
To pay that fee, you are asked for card details, net banking login or your UPI PIN. Once the scammers have those, they make larger unauthorised transactions. The ₹25 was never the point.
5. The optional extra: a malicious app
If the message pushes you to install an app, treat that app as hostile. Anything you install from a stranger's link and allow to read your messages can read your bank OTPs too. The advisory also suggests checking your phone's call-forwarding settings, because some scams quietly divert calls.
Why you can ignore these messages with confidence
The government has already said it plainly. In January 2026, the PIB Fact Check unit called a version of this SMS fake, and, as All India Radio reported, stated that "the India Post Office never sends such messages asking recipients to update their addresses for delivering articles."
That gives you a simple rule. A message asking you to fix your address through a link is fake. You do not need to analyse it.
Do this today
Track parcels only from the source. Use the official site, indiapost.gov.in, or the app or order page of the shop you bought from. Type the address yourself rather than tapping links in messages.
Check the domain. Government sites end in .gov.in or .nic.in. Lookalike addresses with extra words, hyphens or unusual endings are the giveaway.
Never enter a UPI PIN to receive anything. A UPI PIN is only ever used to send money. Any page asking for it is taking money out.
Do not install apps from links. Use the Play Store or App Store only. On Android, leave "install unknown apps" switched off for your browser and messaging apps.
Check call forwarding. In your phone's call settings, make sure forwarding is off unless you set it up yourself.
If unsure, call India Post: its customer care number is 1800-266-6868.
Report it, even if you did not fall for it
Reporting helps get numbers and links blocked. The Department of Telecommunications runs Chakshu, a facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal for reporting suspected fraud calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages. As Factly explains, you enter the date, time and a short description, and a screenshot is optional. Chakshu is for suspected fraud attempts, not for money already lost.
If you already entered your details
Move fast. Minutes matter.
Call the National Cyber Crime Helpline on 1930, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Quick reports give the best chance of freezing the money.
Call your bank's helpline and block the card or net banking access. Change your UPI PIN and net banking password.
If you installed an app from the link, uninstall it, then check which apps have SMS and accessibility permissions and remove anything you do not recognise.
Keep screenshots of the message, the link and any transactions. You will need them for the complaint.
The scam works because it is ordinary: a parcel, an address, a small fee. Keep one rule in your head this festive season. Real delivery companies do not ask you to pay or share card details through a link in a text. If a message does, it is not about your parcel.
