Fake India Post SMS: how to spot the "update your address" scam
8 November 2026 · Post Tracking India
Have a tracking number? Paste it here to see where your item is.
If you got a message saying your India Post parcel is stuck at a warehouse and you must update your address through a link, delete it. It is a scam. India Post does not ask people to update addresses, pay fees or share details through links in SMS or WhatsApp. The government's PIB Fact Check unit has flagged this message as fake several times since June 2024, and new versions keep appearing.
What the scam message looks like
The wording changes, but the pattern stays the same:
- A parcel you didn't expect "has arrived at the warehouse" or "could not be delivered".
- A reason that sounds plausible: incomplete address, wrong house number, unpaid fee.
- A deadline: update within 12, 24 or 48 hours or the parcel "will be returned".
- A link that looks almost official, often with words like indiapost, gov or in placed inside a different domain.
- A small payment asked for at the end, such as ₹25 or ₹50 "redelivery charges".
The small amount is the trick. The fake page collects your card details, UPI PIN or OTP, and the real loss comes later.
Five checks before you click anything
- Look at the link. India Post's site is indiapost.gov.in. Anything else, such as the lookalike indiapost-gov-in.one seen in one version of this scam, is not India Post.
- Look at the sender. A message from a random 10-digit mobile number or an email address is a strong warning sign.
- Ask yourself if you are expecting anything. If you are, track the number on your own receipt instead of using the link.
- Never pay to "release" a parcel by link. Genuine charges, such as customs duty on a parcel from abroad, are paid to the postman or at the post office against a receipt.
- Never share an OTP or UPI PIN. No delivery needs your PIN. The only OTP a postman asks for is the one for handing over a premium Speed Post item at your door.
Not sure about a message? Paste it into our fake SMS checker. It runs in your browser, and the message is not uploaded.
How to check your real parcel
If you are waiting for something, use the tracking number from your booking receipt or from the sender's SMS. Paste it in the box at the top of this page, or check it on indiapost.gov.in. A real status such as "Addressee not available" or "Item on hold" is sorted out at your delivery post office, never through a link. Our status guide explains what each status means.
If you already clicked or paid
Act quickly. The first hours matter most.
- Call your bank on the number printed on your card and block the card or UPI. Ask them to stop any pending transaction.
- Report the fraud on the national cybercrime helpline 1930, or at cybercrime.gov.in.
- Change passwords for any account you entered on the fake page, starting with banking and email.
- Report the SMS through Chakshu on the government's Sanchar Saathi portal, so the sender can be traced and blocked.