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TSB is determined to keep its customers and other people safe, and is therefore warning about a specific type of scam. Fake delivery texts are unfortunately becoming more rife, especially during the busy online shopping period. In the run up to Christmas, it is more likely Britons could fall for this type of scam, especially if they are expecting presents or deliveries in the post.
The bank found four in five fraud cases which start with a text message are from con-artists imitating Royal Mail, DPD and Hermes.
Scam texts are sent out claiming a parcel charge needs to be met, or a delivery has been missed.
However, this is simply an elaborate ruse designed to harvest sensitive details from Britons, which can then be used to target the same people in the future.
TSB shared one case of a woman who was able to get a refund of over £7,000 after falling victim to this kind of fraud.
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Another customer was targeted following a scam text which claimed to be from Hermes, and asked her to pay a £1.27 charge for a parcel delivery.
Once the fraudulent form was completed, she was targeted with a cold call, losing almost £4,000 before TSB stepped in to prevent an additional payment.
Bank impersonation fraud, typically initiated by SMS, is the worst category for impersonation fraud losses.
Paul Davis, Director of Fraud Prevention at TSB, said: “Fraudsters are changing their methods all the time.
Scam texts should always be deleted immediately, and never responded to.
If a person receives a call from out of the blue, they should always be sceptical about the information they share.
In addition, they should never be pressured into parting with this kind of information or into a quick decision.
If people are unsure, they should always put the phone down and think about the matter more carefully.
