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NatWest has issued a warning to Britons about fraudulent delivery texts scammers are using to “steal” money from people.
Fraudsters are imitating reputable delivery companies, such as Royal Mail or Evri, in text messages stating that a courier has attempted to deliver a parcel, only to use the details that the victim unknowingly provides to hack into their bank account.
The bank has shared key red flags to watch out for, before stressing the importance to avoid clicking links and remaining vigilant about out-of-the-blue texts.
A statement from NatWest reads: “A delivery scam is when a fraudster sends you a message stating that a courier has tried to deliver a parcel or package, but no one answered.
“The message asks that you click on a link to reschedule the delivery where you’ll be asked to enter sensitive information e.g. date of birth, mobile number and card details.
“The scammers will use this information to call you or access your bank account and steal your money.”
The bank then leads on to explain the messages may seem generic, and these will “always” contain links to fraudulent websites to harvest personal details.
It said: “Always remember that fraudsters will send messages with links to fraudulent websites to get your personal information.
“Criminals will try and make the message generic, such as Dear Sir/Madam. The message may also contain spelling mistakes. Fraudsters may claim that there was an attempt to deliver goods, though you haven’t ordered any goods or services.”
In order to avoid falling victim to the scam, Britons are being urged to avoid these texts and instead, head straight to a web browser to check for delivery updates manually.
NatWest said: “Always access websites by typing them into the web browser and avoid clicking on links in texts. Remain vigilant and check delivery notifications very carefully to ensure they are genuine.”
It added: “Always question claims that you are due goods or services that you haven’t ordered or are unaware of, especially if you have to pay any fees upfront.”
Delivery firm Evri previously told Express.co.uk: “We would never ask for bank details from someone who is expecting a delivery.”
Meanwhile, a statement from Royal Mail reads: “Royal Mail will only send email and SMS notifications to customers in cases where the sender has requested this when using our trackable products that offer this service.
“In cases where customers need to pay a surcharge for an underpaid item, we would let them know by leaving a grey Fee To Pay card. We would not request payment by email or text.”
The firm said the “only time” it would ask customers to make a payment by email or by SMS is in instances where a customs fee is due.
It explained: “In such cases, we would also leave a grey card telling customers that there’s a Fee to Pay before we can release the item. This would apply either to an international customs fee or to a surcharge for an underpaid item.”
It added: “Unless tracking notifications were requested at the time of posting, we won’t send emails, texts or make phone calls to customers about undeliverable items of mail.
“If we’re unable to deliver an item we’ll always leave a ‘Something for you’ / ‘Sorry we missed you’ or ‘Fee to Pay’ card with next steps and more information.”
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