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People in Gedling borough waiting for parcels to arrive have today been given a fresh warning about a scam that claims payment is required for a package to be delivered.
The scam involves a text message being sent that claims a parcel is awaiting delivery by Royal Mail.
The link in the text connects to a copycat website run by fraudsters, which is designed to steal your personal details and banking information.
Royal Mail said it would never send a text message of this kind – unless specifically requested – and would use a grey card instead to tell people if any fee was required.
It warned the public in Gedling about a similar email scam in February, and it appears that the fraudsters’ campaign is gaining momentum.
Katherine Hart, from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “This delivery scam is yet another example of fraudsters attempting to make money out of the unsuspecting public.
“Due to the lockdowns, many millions of people rely on product deliveries, so scammers have focused their efforts on this theme.
“Also, the public must also be aware that these types of scams may come in many forms, and scammers do not only use Royal Mail branding. Indeed, in January, I commented on a similar scam that used DPD branding.
“These types of scams come in many forms, not just via text but also in emails and through the phone.”
Mark Johnson from Calverton was one of the readers asking to raise awareness about the scam.
He said: “My mother had one and luckily showed it to me during a Zoom call. The domain just didn’t sound right to me and a bit of research online revealed it was a common scam.
“My mum was lucky as if she’s not have been in communcation with me, she would have clicked through and given her details.
“People need to know elderly relatives in particular aware aware of this scam.”
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