Royal Mail scam warning as fake emails appear in inboxes

People are being warned against a ‘Royal Mail scam’ appearing in inboxes.

Facebook page, ‘Lancashire Trading Standards Scambuster Stan’, posted an example of the message to advise followers to stay vigilant. The email purports to be Royal Mail, stating the recipient has failed to receive a ‘large letter’ from HM Revenue and Customs.

Dated Monday, July 15 the message reads: “We attempted to deliver your package at 09:18 on Monday, 15 July 2024 but no one was available. Your parcel was returned to our depot and you need to reschedule your package delivery.

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“Please reschedule your package delivery by pressing ‘Reschedule Now’ and no one of our drivers will attempt to deliver your package. Thank You, The Royal Mail Team.”

Often, scams can be identified through grammar and spelling mistakes, or simply the layout of the email or message itself. Examples of scam messages are highlighted on the Royal Mail’s website, giving clear indications of disingenuous emails that may appear as the real thing.

As well as the HM Revenue and Customs example, other fraudulent emails include links to SurveyGizmo with the header ‘Notice on your Delivery’ and ‘Notification N° 96914207′ which states your must pay £3.95 to ‘confirm’ the parcel.

Other scams also target text messages. including ones that want you to follow a ‘bit.ly’ link or a message stating an item is waiting to be collected which references a Xmas list.

If you receive a suspicious text, email or telephone call you can report it to reportascam@royalmail.com. Forward any suspicious emails to this address, but do not click on any links or attachments and delete it from your inbox.

For suspicious texts, send a screenshot to the email address and for calls or any fraudulent websites appearing to be Royal Mail, include the phone number or website address in the body of the email. If you have been victim to a payment scam, you can get a crime reference number by reporting it to your local police station.

If you are concerned your personal details have been compromised, you can report the scam to Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting centre.

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