"Your Parcel Is Held Due to Incomplete Address" — How to Spot the Fake India Post SMS
What the fake message looks like next to a real one, how to check your parcel without touching the link, and exactly what to do in the next hour if you already clicked, typed your card details or paid.
Expecting a parcel? Check it the safe way
Type your consignment number into our tracker yourself. Never use the link in the SMS.
That SMS is fake. India Post does not send texts asking you to update your address through a link, and it doesn't collect a "redelivery fee" through one either. PIB Fact Check has called these messages fake more than once, and India Post's own homepage now carries a fraud alert telling people not to open look-alike links or share OTP, card, UPI or bank details through them.
If you really are waiting for something, a passport, an admit card, a parcel from home, don't panic. Your real parcel isn't affected by the scam text. Get the consignment number from the sender or your receipt, type it into our tracker or India Post's website, indiapost.gov.in, and you'll see its actual status in a few seconds.
Already tapped the link or paid ₹25 or ₹100? Jump to the damage control steps. Speed matters more than anything else there.
What the Fake India Post SMS Looks Like
The wording keeps changing, but the story is always the same: the parcel reached a warehouse, delivery failed because the address was incomplete, and you have 12, 24 or 48 hours to "update" it before it goes back. Here are messages that fact-checkers and news reports have published, with the links broken ([.]) so they can't be opened.
Reported by PIB Fact Check, via Asianet Newsable
The domain ends in .one. "gov-in" is just part of the name the scammer bought.
iMessage reported by an iPhone user, via Business Today
Sent as an iMessage, signed "Indi Post", and linking to a .top site.
Variant described by Quick Heal
A "small fee" for an address update. India Post doesn't do this by text.
Domains these scams have used
Security researchers at Fortinet counted over 470 domain registrations imitating India Post between January and July 2024, most commonly on cheap endings like .vip, .top and .buzz. Resecurity tracked the same campaign. A few real examples:
| Fake domain | The trick | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| indund[.]cyou | Random name on a .cyou ending | India Post's own homepage alert |
| indiapost-gov-in[.]one | Puts "gov-in" in the name, ends in .one | PIB Fact Check |
| indiapost[.]top | Real brand name, wrong ending | Fortinet |
| inddiapost[.]top | Extra "d" you won't notice on a phone | Resecurity |
| indiapostyt[.]vip | Brand name plus junk letters | Resecurity |
| iydc[.]in/u/… | Short link that hides where it goes | CyberPeace Foundation |
The one rule that beats every trick: India Post's website is indiapost.gov.in. The address has to end in exactly .gov.in. "indiapost-gov-in" followed by .one, .top or .com is not it.
Real India Post SMS vs Fake — Side by Side
India Post does send real texts. Its Speed Post page lists SMS-based delivery notifications. Those messages tell you something. They don't ask you to pay or "update" anything through a link.
| Check | Genuine India Post text | Scam text |
|---|---|---|
| Who sent it | A registered letter header, not a phone number | Often an ordinary mobile number, or an email address (iMessage) |
| What it says | A status update with your article number | "Delivery failed", "incomplete address", "warehouse" |
| Deadline | None | 12, 24 or 48 hours "or it will be returned" |
| Address-update link | Never | Always — that's the whole point |
| Payment request | Never by SMS link | ₹25.02, ₹80 or ₹100 "redelivery fee", usually card only |
| Website | indiapost.gov.in | Anything else: .top, .vip, .cyou, .one, short links |
About the sender: since May 2025, TRAI rules require business and government SMS headers to end with a letter showing the message type: -S for service, -T for transactional, -P for promotional and -G for government. A real organisation's text comes from a header such as "VM-XXXXXX-S", not a stranger's mobile number. Digit has quoted India Post's header as "INPOST-G", but scammers imitate headers too, so the safest test is to scroll back to an earlier India Post SMS on your own phone and compare.
Even a correct-looking sender isn't proof on its own. Treat any text that asks for money or card details as a scam, whoever it claims to be from.
Is This India Post SMS Real? A 30-Second Check
If you answer "yes" to even one of these, delete the message.
Does it contain a link?
Address-update and payment links are the scam. You can check a parcel without any link at all.
Did it come from a phone number or an email address?
Fake India Post iMessages have come from Gmail and Hotmail addresses. Real bulk SMS come from a registered header.
Is there a countdown?
"Within 48 hours or your package will be returned" is pressure, so you act before you think.
Is there no tracking number, or one that doesn't match yours?
Real Speed Post numbers are 13 characters, like EE123456789IN. Our guide to the consignment number format shows how to read one.
Odd spelling or signature?
"Indi Post!", stray capital letters in the middle of a sentence, clumsy grammar. These go out in bulk and often aren't proofread.
How to Check Your Real Parcel Safely
The scam works because the timing feels right. Say your brother posted your documents from Lucknow on Monday and this text arrives Wednesday. Here's how to find out what's really going on, without touching the message.
Get the consignment number from a source you trust
That's the booking receipt, the sender, or the official site that dispatched your document (passport, PAN, bank card). Not the number in the suspicious SMS, which may be made up.
Type the address yourself and track
Open a fresh browser tab and go to SpeedIndiaPost.com, or type indiapost.gov.in, or use India Post's Dak Sewa app. Enter the number. You'll see its scan history, such as booked, received at the delivery office, out for delivery.
Read what the status actually says
Often it's simply still in transit, and the "failed delivery" in the SMS never happened. If you're unsure what a line means, our tracking status guide explains each one.
If tracking does show a real failed attempt, call or visit your delivery post office with ID and ask how to collect the item or get it redelivered. Sort it out with the post office directly, never through a link in a text. Our guide on what to do after "Delivery Attempted" walks through it.
Still unsure? Ask India Post directly
Call India Post's toll-free helpline 1800 266 6868 (8 AM to 8 PM, per its website) and give the consignment number. Don't call any number printed in the suspicious SMS.
Already Clicked or Paid? Do This Now, in This Order
First, breathe. Lots of careful people fall for this, especially when they really are waiting for a parcel. What matters now is how quickly you act. The ₹25 isn't the problem. The scammers want your card number, CVV and OTP so they can spend far more.
| What you did | Risk | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Only opened the link, typed nothing | Low | Close the tab, clear browser history, report the SMS on Chakshu |
| Entered name, address, phone, email | Medium | Expect follow-up scam calls posing as India Post or a bank. Never share an OTP. Report on Chakshu |
| Entered card number, expiry, CVV | High | Block the card right now, then call 1930 |
| Paid, or shared an OTP | High — money may already be moving | Block card or UPI, call 1930, complain to your bank in writing |
| Installed an app or file from the link | High | Turn on airplane mode, uninstall it, block cards, change banking passwords from another device |
Block the card (2 minutes)
Open your bank app and use the block or "hotlist" card option, or turn off online transactions for that card. If you can't find it, call the customer care number printed on the back of the card. Don't search for the bank's number online, because fake helpline numbers are a scam of their own.
Call 1930 if money has left your account
1930 is the national cyber crime helpline, run under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). It's linked to the system banks use to try and freeze stolen money before it's withdrawn, so call as early as you can. Keep the transaction ID, time and amount ready.
File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in
Report the financial fraud on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in. Upload screenshots of the SMS (with the sender visible), the fake website and your bank debit message. Save the acknowledgement number. Your bank may ask for it.
Paid by UPI? Raise a dispute in the app and with your bank
In your UPI app, open the transaction from history and use "Raise a complaint", "Report" or "Help". Note the complaint reference. Report it to your own bank too: call or write to them with the UPI transaction ID.
Change passwords and watch your statements
If you typed any password or net-banking login on that page, change it. Then check your account and card statements every day for the next few weeks, including small "test" charges.
Report the SMS on Sanchar Saathi Chakshu
Chakshu takes reports of suspected fraud calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages so they can be acted on. It's for reporting the message itself, though. Chakshu says plainly that if you've already lost money, report it on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, so do steps 2 and 3 first.
Why reporting fast to your bank matters: under RBI's rules on unauthorised electronic transactions, if a loss happened because you shared payment details, you carry the loss until you report it to the bank. Anything taken after you report it is the bank's responsibility. Once you report, the bank has to resolve the complaint within 90 days. Make the bank complaint in writing (email or in-app) so there's a time stamp.
Ready-to-use complaint wording
Copy this into your bank email or the cybercrime portal description and fill in your details:
How to Report the Fake SMS (Even If You Didn't Click)
Reporting takes a few minutes and helps get these numbers and sites shut down before they reach your parents.
Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi
On sancharsaathi.gov.in, open Chakshu and report the SMS as a suspected fraud communication. Its categories include impersonation of government officials. Report it soon: Chakshu asks for reports within 30 days for action. Keep a screenshot showing the sender and time.
India Post
Tell India Post through its online complaint portal (linked from indiapost.gov.in), the Dak Sewa app's complaint option, or the 1800 266 6868 helpline. Mention the fake website address. Our India Post complaint guide shows the portal steps.
iPhone: Report Junk
Many of these arrive as iMessage from an email address. Use "Report Junk" under the message, then delete it. Don't reply. Even "STOP" can tell them your number is active.
PIB Fact Check
PIB Fact Check takes in suspicious government-related messages through the WhatsApp number and email address listed on its website, factcheck.pib.gov.in. It's useful when a new wording starts going around.
Other Parcel Scams Doing the Rounds
The SMS is only one version. Scammers may also follow up the text with a phone call, posing as an India Post representative, as the RBL Bank and Quick Heal blogs describe.
The "customs duty" call
A call, SMS or email says your parcel is held at customs and you must pay duty or "clearance fees" before it's released, usually into a personal account. CBIC has said Indian Customs officers never contact the public by phone, SMS or email for payment of duty into private accounts, and that genuine Customs communications carry a Document Identification Number (DIN) you can verify on CBIC's website. If you really have an international parcel held for duty, our guide to parcels stuck in customs explains how genuine duty is paid.
The "parcel with drugs" call and "digital arrest"
A caller says a parcel sent to or from you contains drugs, fake passports or other illegal goods. Then people posing as police, CBI, narcotics or other officers keep you on a video call until you pay. The Prime Minister has said publicly that there is no system of "digital arrest" in Indian law, and that no investigating agency questions people like this over a phone or video call. Hang up, tell a family member, and call 1930 if you've paid anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Do Right Now
- Didn't click? Delete the SMS, report it on Chakshu, and forward this page to your parents' WhatsApp group.
- Entered card details? Block the card in your bank app before you do anything else.
- Money gone? Call 1930 now, then file on cybercrime.gov.in and email your bank using the wording above.
- Waiting for a parcel? Track it below with the number from your receipt. If it shows a failed attempt, go to the post office with ID.
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