Warning of ‘very convincing’ Royal Mail scam targeting your contact details UK News

Royal Mail customers have issued a new warning about scams attempting to steal your personal data.

Customers have taken to social media to share examples of scammers using “sophisticated tactics” to defraud the public.

The scam involves recipients receiving a text or email that appears to be from Royal Mail.

The message indicates that there has been an attempt to deliver a package and you are prompted to click on a link to reschedule the delivery.

‘Very convincing’

The text message in question reads: “Royal Mail: your package has been held and will not be delivered due to unpaid shipping charges of £ 1.99.”

Another similar version of this text also reads: ‘Royal Mail: please pay your postage immediately to https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/19307662.warning-highly-convincing-royal-mail-scam-targeting-details/?ref=rss or your letter will be returned to the sender. ”

Both versions provide a link that the recipient must click to pay their fees, a scam designed to trick victims into sharing their bank details.

Royal Mail says: “Please do not click on any links and be vigilant if you receive a communication of which you are not sure.”

Tony Pepper, CEO of cybersecurity firm Egress, said: “As the world continues to rely on digital communication channels wherever possible, we have seen an inevitable increase in phishing activity across the country. over the past year, cybercriminals sending very convincing emails posing as trusted organizations.

“Unfortunately, these recent emails claiming to be from the Royal Mail are part of the latest ploy to get people to part with their money – and in many cases they are using incredibly sophisticated tactics to do so.”

“Do not follow any link in SMS messages”

Ray Walsh, digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy, said: “Anyone in the UK who receives a text message that purports to be from a delivery service should remember that this may be a scam and that it should never follow the links contained in the SMS messages or provide their information to the sender.

“If you are expecting a package and have not yet received it, contact the retailer or delivery service directly to rectify it and ignore any incoming messages that attempt to separate you from your personal information.

“Scammers use cleverly worded messages that employ urgency to deceive their victims, so if you receive a text message telling you to act quickly to secure your package, it’s vital not to panic or you could end up on your own. steal your data. ”

How to spot a scam

There are several ways to spot a scam or a fake message. Things to watch out for include:

• Verifying “From” address – is it from a business or organization, or is it from a random email address? It should be noted that scammers often change their names to make it look like the emails are from a legitimate company, but it’s always worth checking out.
• Is the greeting impersonal? According to Royal Mail, scammers “often use impersonal and general topics or welcome messages”
• Is there a bad spelling, grammar or presentation? As scammers improve to make their messages appear more professional, it is more common to watch out for inconsistency in the email, such as different font styles or sizes and incompatible logos.

If you are unsure of the message you have received, you should always exercise caution.

Contact the company that is supposed to try to communicate with you in a way that is completely separate from the message.

Do not use any phone number, email address, or linked websites. Instead, search for the company and use a different number or email address, from their website for example.

The Royal Mail has been the target of crooks and fraudsters in the past and, as such, has compiled some useful security tips.

Royal Mail says:

• Never send sensitive, personal information, security details or credit card numbers via email
• Never click on a link in an email if you are not sure, especially if it asks for personal financial information, it could attempt to install malware on your computer.
• Make sure you have a spam filter on your email account

If you have received any suspicious emails or texts claiming to be from Royal Mail, you can let the company know by contacting them here.

You can also report the scam to Action Fraud here.

For scams in Scotland or from Scotland, you should contact Police Scotland on the 101 hotline.