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With Christmas just a week away many Britons are rushing to post packages in readiness for the festive day. However, amid the increase in urgency for deliveries to be received there has also been a rise in the number of scams shoppers are encountering, and Royal Mail customers could also be at risk of festive phishing schemes.
Some of those who have clicked the confirm button at the bottom of the site, said they were taken to another website called “winanticipation” where they are asked for card details to pay for a small fee of £2 for the iPhone.
One person wrote on Twitter: “Hi there @RoyalMail I received the below text from you today- is it a scam? If I follow it through it goes to a @curryspcworld prize!”
Another added: “@RoyalMailHelp, is this some sort of new scam or a new feature you guys have introduced?
“It’s not the first time I’ve gotten a text like this from an alleged Royal Mail number.”
DON’T MISS:
Royal Mail responded to people on Twitter by saying they are “aware of the SMS” and is currently investigating.
On Friday, the British delivery giant wrote: “Hi, thanks for raising this with us. We’re aware of this SMS and are currently investigating.
“Further information on known scams and how to report them in the future can be [found on our website]. Thanks.”
By heading over to the Royal Mail website, customers will be able to find a full list of scams that the company has officially recognised.
This includes a “text message saying an item is waiting to be collected by you. It references a Xmas list.” Another recognised scam consists of a “text message saying a parcel is waiting for delivery. Please confirm the settlement of 2.99 (GBP) via a link”.
On their website, Royal Mail advise customers who receive these messages “not click on any links”.
Royal Mail said of the current scams: “We’re aware that [the text] look like they’re sent by Royal Mail, but are in fact fraud or phishing scams.
“Please don’t click on any of the links in these emails [or texts] and be vigilant if you receive communication which you aren’t sure about.”
Customers are being urged by Royal Mail to “report the scam” to them and to stay vigilant if something seems odd and suspicious.
Similar scams in the past have been known to leave customer’s pockets empty after scammers were able to gain personal details about individuals and empty out their bank accounts – which is why consumers are urged to be vigilant this Christmas period.
Express.co.uk has reached out to representatives at Royal Mail and Curry’s PC World for further comment.
A Royal Mail Spokesperson said: “We would remind our customers never to click on any links or offer any personal details if they believe any message may be a scam. We will never ask customers to enter information on a page that isn’t part of the Royal Mail website.
“If customers receive a suspicious text claiming to be from Royal Mail, they may contact our customer services department on 08457 740 740. They can also find details on how to report their concerns via our website www.royalmail.com. They may also contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit their website and use their online reporting tool.”
The official Royal Mail advice on spotting a fraudulent email is as follows:
How to spot a phishing scam
Check at the top. 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.
The sender, subject and content may change slightly but often they:
• state there’s a parcel waiting to be collected
• ask for payment before an item can be released for delivery
• prompts you to open a link or document
• asks you to send a text message or call a phone premium rate phone number
Protect your information
• 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
• Make sure you have a spam filter on your email account
For further information, you can contact Royal Mail for help via the website.
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