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UK consumers are, once again, being targeted by a nasty Post Office text scam that could leave personal data including full banking details in the hands of hackers. The latest threat was spotted by SCAMWhere? with the team receiving a text message claiming that a parcel was waiting for them but had an unpaid £2.99 fee before it could be delivered.
The text reads, “Royal Mail: Your package has a £2.99 unpaid shipping fee.” This is then followed by a link that claims will allow the user to reschedule delivery. This is an age-old trick that can be hugely convincing especially as the link often takes users to a website that looks just like the official Post Office page.
Anyone fooled can soon find themselves handing over name, address and full banking details which are then used by criminals to steal money from accounts.
Experts are now warning consumers to be on the lookout for delivery scams with Hannah Hart, Digital Privacy Expert at ProPrivacy, saying: ” SMS phishing, also called smishing, has become a recurring nuisance in 2021. In fact, according to Which?, three in five people have received a fake delivery text in the last year.
“Ultimately, the scammers behind smishing attempts will try to get you to click on a link by preying on your sense of urgency or panic. The fake delivery texts frequently claim that a victim has a package waiting to be collected or an unpaid fee – exactly the thing which might spur a target into clicking a link without taking time to determine if it’s legitimate.
“If you receive any unexpected texts, don’t click on or reply to them as they can potentially load malware onto your device or steal your payment details. Instead, go directly to your courier’s site to track your parcel’s progress.”
This isn’t the first time UK users have been targeted with Express.co.uk uncovering a highly sophisticated Post Office scam back in June. A text message pushed people to a website that was so convincing it was easy to see how people can be so easily tricked.
Along with the warnings from security experts, the Post Office also says that anyone receiving a suspicious email, text message, telephone call or discover a Royal Mail branded website which they think is fraudulent, should report it to reportascam@royalmail.com.
If you have been the victim of a payment scam, you can get a crime reference number by reporting it to your local Police station.
And if you have clicked on a link, provided any personal data like your bank account details on a website or over the phone or you’re concerned that you’ve been compromised, you should also report the scam to Action FraudOpens in a new window, the national fraud reporting centre.
