A scam is asking shoppers to enter their details in order to get a parcel or letter delivered by Royal Mail.
These messages can be sent via text, email or social media, it has been warned.
If they’re not asking for payments, the fake messages encourage Brits to click on unsafe links to enter other personal details.
Unfortunately the scams aren’t always easy to spot, especially with fraudsters using official branding of the company now.
Royal Mail will regularly use its website to list all known scams to pre-warn customers.
It said: “Don’t click on any of the links in these emails and be vigilant if you receive communication which you aren’t sure about.”
(Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)
Royal Mail customers have shared the scam on social media to warn others of the text message that’s circulating.
One Twitter user wrote: “Think we’ve got a scam going on @RoyalMail.”
The woman then shared a picture of a text claiming to be from the delivery firm.
It read: “Royal Mail: Your Package has been held and will not be delivered due to a £1.99 unpaid shipping fee.”
(Image: PA)
The message also asked the customer to pay by clicking on a link.
Meanwhile, another user added: “I had this one yesterday. Similar thing and a scam I’m sure.”
The person shared a similar message including a snippet of the fake scam.
It read: “Royal Mail: Please pay your dispatch fee immediately or your parcel will be returned to sender.”
Royal Mail has previously told it rarely sends texts and customers would only receive a message if they’ve opted for the service.
Tony Pepper, CEO of cyber security firm Egress, spoke out about the Royal Mail scam.
He said: “We’ve seen an inevitable surge in phishing activity over the last year, with cyber criminals sending out highly convincing emails posing as trusted organisations.
“Unfortunately, these recent emails claiming to be from the Royal Mail are part of the latest scheme aimed at tricking people into parting with their money – and in many cases are using incredibly sophisticated tactics to do so.”
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He added: “We would urge anyone who has received one of these emails to practice extreme caution when it comes to sharing your personal data.
“Royal Mail will only ever request payment for a fee due on a parcel by leaving a grey card at your address, and will only contact you via text or email if you’ve specifically requested it.
“If in doubt, contact Royal Mail directly to ensure that any communications you’ve received are legitimate.
“If you have received an email or text message claiming to be from Royal Mail requesting payment for a delivery that you believe to be suspicious, we’d urge you to notify Action Fraud using their online reporting service.”
