In short
DHL says the only payments it requests by email or SMS are customs duties and taxes, and a one-time passcode is sent to the recipient's registered contact before payment. Official DHL emails come from dhl.com and related DHL domains, never from free services like Gmail or Yahoo.
Most common fake: Customs duty or tax payment link for a held shipment.
Safest check: Enter your tracking number yourself on the official DHL tracking page at dhl.com.
What DHL says
DHL says the only payments it requests by email or SMS are customs duties and taxes, and a one-time passcode is sent to the recipient's registered contact before payment. Official DHL emails come from dhl.com and related DHL domains, never from free services like Gmail or Yahoo. Source: DHL
Common fake DHL messages
- Customs duty or tax payment link for a held shipment
- Text with a shortened link (such as bit.ly) from a generic sender name like Delivery
- Text from a phone number with an unexpected foreign country code
- Phishing email with an urgent tone or a fake shipping attachment
- Fake DHL social media accounts or job offers
DHL's real web addresses
Genuine DHL links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: dhl.com is real, but dhl-support-center.com or dhl.com.account-check.top are not.
- dhl.com
- dpdhl.com
- dhl-news.com
- dhl.de
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a DHL message safely
- Enter your tracking number yourself on the official DHL tracking page at dhl.com
- Check that any email comes from dhl.com or another official DHL domain, not a free email service
- Legitimate customs payment requests include a one-time passcode sent to your registered contact
- Send shipment or invoice questions to DHL customer support via dhl.com
How to report a fake DHL message
- Forward scam emails as attachments, or send screenshots of scam texts and social media accounts, to phishing@dhl.com. Official details on dhl.com
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it on the real DHL website or app and turn on two-step verification.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help. Never share one-time codes or move money to a "safe account".
- Report the scam, then delete the message.
More help: Fake delivery texts and customs-fee scams and what to do after a scam.
Questions people ask
Does DHL send messages asking for payment or personal details?
DHL says the only payments it requests by email or SMS are customs duties and taxes, and a one-time passcode is sent to the recipient's registered contact before payment. Official DHL emails come from dhl.com and related DHL domains, never from free services like Gmail or Yahoo.
How can I check if a DHL message is real?
Enter your tracking number yourself on the official DHL tracking page at dhl.com. Check that any email comes from dhl.com or another official DHL domain, not a free email service. Legitimate customs payment requests include a one-time passcode sent to your registered contact. Send shipment or invoice questions to DHL customer support via dhl.com.
How do I report a fake DHL message?
Forward scam emails as attachments, or send screenshots of scam texts and social media accounts, to phishing@dhl.com.
I clicked a link in a fake DHL message. What should I do?
Don't enter anything else. If you typed card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card. If you entered a password, change it on the real website and turn on two-step verification. Then report the message and delete it.
Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.
- Fraud Awareness (DHL)
- DHL Tracking (DHL)