By James Simons-
Royal Mail has issued a fresh warning to members of the public over scams attempting to steal personal details.
It follows a number of sophisticated tactics used by scammers pretending to be from royal mail, to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
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The public are being warned to be extra cautious and weary of dodgy mails . The scammers often send text messages or an emails sent to members of the public which appear to be from Royal Mail.
The message states that there was an attempt to deliver a parcel made, and you are instructed to click a link in order to reschedule the delivery.
The text message in question says: “Royal Mail: Your package has been held and will not be delivered due to a £1.99 unpaid shipping fee.”
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Another similar version of this text also reads: “Royal Mail: Please pay your dispatch fee immediately at [link] or your letter will be returned to sender.”
Both versions provide a link for the recipient to click in order to pay their fee, which is a scam designed to lure victims into sharing their bank details.
Royal Mail states: “Please don’t click on any links and be vigilant if you receive a communication which you aren’t sure about.”
Careless members of the public easily fall for tricks from scammers, passing on their details very easily without careful thought. This can be very costly and distressing for victims once they discover that they have been scammed.
Individuals are advised to always give conscious thought to every situation in which they find themselves giving out their personal bank details, no matter how legitimate the circumstances appear to be.
Tony Pepper, CEO of cyber security firm Egress, said: “As the world continues to rely on digital communication channels wherever possible, 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.”
“If you are expecting a parcel and have not received it yet, contact the retailer or delivery service directly to rectify it and ignore any incoming messages that attempt to make you part with personal information.
“Scammers use cleverly worded messages that employ urgency to trick their victims, so if you get a text message that tells you to act quickly to secure your parcel it is vital not to panic or you could end up having your data stolen.”
Royal Mail says that fraudsters “often use subjects or greetings that are impersonal and general”.
The mails often lack consistency , and use different font styles or sizes, and mismatching logos.
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