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WORCESTERSHIRE residents are being warned about a new ‘Royal Mail’ scam.
Residents from Droitwich have been among those targeted and have written on social media about the attempt to steal money.
In the scam fraudsters send an email out of the blue pretending to be from the postal delivery service.
The email pretends the Royal Mail was not able to deliver the item, and claims the parcel was returned to their depot adding “you need to reschedule your package delivery”.
The email provides a ‘reschedule now’ link – but when clicked on those targeted are prompted to provide bank details to pay a ‘redelivery fee’ for an amount often up to £4.
The scam has been seen elsewhere in the country, and police nationally were told in an alert to spread the message: “This is a classic example of how easily the scammers can take us off-guard and persuade us to provide personal information that can have dramatic consequences.”
One of those targeted in Droitwich said: “I had one of these today – very convincing.”
Royal Mail has highlighted the scam, and pointed out the scammers try to claim the package is from Amazon and HM Revenue and Customs.
It’s online advice says: “How to spot a fake email – check at the top.
READ MORE: Here’s what was causing the mystery noise that baffled Warndon Villages residents
“Fraudsters often use subjects or greetings that are impersonal and general, like “Attention Royal Mail Customer”.
“They may use a forged email address in the “from” field like “delivery@royalmail.com”. They may even use the Royal Mail logo. None of this guarantees the email has come from us.
“Never send sensitive, personal information, security details or credit card numbers by email.
“Never click on a link in an email if you are unsure about it, especially if it asks for personal financial information, this might attempt to install malware on to your computer.”
