Amazon and Royal Mail customers warned of four scams that could hit Boxing Day sale shoppers

An urgent alert has been sounded for Amazon and Royal Mail customers as the festive season draws near, with warnings of up to FOUR scams circulating. As we edge closer to December 25, there’s a spike in fraudulent activity targeting eager shoppers.

Which?

consumer expert Rob Lilley-Jones cautions: “With so many parcels expected over the Christmas period, your chance of falling for a delivery scam is particularly high. Scammers will exploit shoppers who are expecting deliveries by impersonating well-known delivery brands.”

He further explains the nature of these deceptions: “The messages usually claim you’ve missed a delivery, aiming to pressure you into clicking a link included in the message. If you’ve lost money after following a link sent to you in a fake text, contact your bank as soon as possible.”

Among the scams highlighted by Which? is the notorious ‘outstanding fee’ con. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, warns: “This has become an incredibly common scam, where the fraudsters text or email to say there’s a parcel for you, but there’s an outstanding postal fee to pay in order to get hold of it.”

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She adds that this tactic is simply “This is just a way of getting hold of your payment information.” Other deceptive practices include notifications about failed deliveries and unexpected parcels, with Sarah noting: “They’ll often include a QR code and ask you to scan it if there are any issues with delivery.”

“You scan it and input your information, and they have what they need.” A fourth and final scam involves a ‘stolen parcel’ con, with Sarah advising: “If it’s left somewhere you disagreed and it disappears, you have the right to a replacement.”

“In all cases, this is the seller’s responsibility, so don’t let them blame the courier.”

If you come across a website that seems suspicious, you can report it to the National Cyber Security Centre at www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website. You should also get in touch with your provider and report it to Action Fraud, which will provide you with a crime reference number.

This can be done online at actionfraud. police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.