Royal Mail clients urged to ‘by no means’ click on hyperlinks in supply texts

Jul 03, 2023 at 5:00 AM
Royal Mail clients urged to ‘by no means’ click on hyperlinks in supply texts

Delivery scams are on the rise once more. There are quite a lot of textual content messages doing the rounds designed to reap your private and monetary data.

Scams that arrive by SMS are additionally known as ‘smishing’ assaults.

They usually include hyperlinks – however it is best to by no means click on on them.

Always keep in mind, Royal Mail won’t ever, ever ask you to pay something by way of a textual content message.

How to identify a Royal Mail rip-off textual content

Watch out for rip-off textual content messages that state:

  • There’s a package deal that must be rescheduled and asks you to press on a ‘bit.ly’ hyperlink. The hyperlink takes you to a rip-off web site asking for cost

  • An merchandise is ready to be collected by you

  • References a particular occasion or festive listing

  • A parcel is ready for supply. Please verify the settlement of two.99 (GBP) by way of a hyperlink.

  • It’s from deliverycentral.madebypi.com, however this may occasionally change. If you click on on the hyperlink on the primary display screen you may see a message suggesting a package deal was present in transit and there may be an excellent supply cost to make

  • There’s a £2.99 transport price to gather your package deal. Clicking on the hyperlink takes you to a pretend web site

  • A parcel is prepared for assortment. A hyperlink takes you to a pretend web site (royal-mail.cloud) the place you may be requested to make a cost

How to identify a Royal Mail rip-off e mail

Watch out for emails that state:

  • Your package deal couldn’t be delivered on a sure date

  • Sender: Royal Mail Group Ltd, varied e mail addresses could also be used together with press.workplace@royalmail.com. The e mail informs you that your package deal couldn’t be delivered as a consequence of no customized responsibility being paid

  • We tried to ship your package deal at (for instance) 10:50, Sender: RoyalMail Delivery, varied e mail addresses are used. The e mail informs you that you’ve got missed a package deal supply from HMRC Revenue & Customs and provides a hyperlink to reschedule the supply

NEVER CLICK ON ANY OF THE LINKS

There has additionally been latest reporting of internet sites pretending to be Royal Mail and promoting pretend Royal Mail Stamps and Collectables. These web sites could provide a reduction, however when you’ve given your private data, the criminals can use this for future rip-off concentrating on and the stamps and collectables both don’t exist or are pretend.

Top tricks to keep away from being scammed

If you obtain a suspicious e mail, textual content message, phone name or uncover a Royal Mail branded web site which you assume is fraudulent, please report it to reportascam@royalmail.com.

For suspicious emails, ahead the e-mail to reportascam@royalmail.com, don’t click on on any hyperlinks or attachments after which delete it out of your inbox.

For suspicious textual content messages, please ship a screenshot of the message to reportascam@royalmail.com.

Scambusters Mail bag – answering your rip-off questions

Question: If I get an undesirable (unsolicited) package deal or duplicate of products can I maintain the packages?

If an merchandise is addressed to you, there was no earlier contact with the corporate, and it arrives out of the blue, then you’ll be able to maintain it. But something which arrives by mistake – both delivered to the fallacious handle, or a replica of some items you might have already obtained – has to return. And it’s the appropriate factor to do!

Tips of the week

  1. Don’t click on on hyperlinks or obtain attachments from unknown sources. This can result in malware or phishing assaults.

  2. Use sturdy and distinctive passwords for all of your on-line accounts and allow two-factor authentication each time doable.

  3. Trust your instincts. If one thing appears too good to be true or feels suspicious, it most likely is.

Remember: If you might have obtained a textual content you assume is a rip-off then you’ll be able to ahead to 7726 or take a screenshot and ship it to report@phishing.gov.uk. If you’re receiving a lot of undesirable cellphone calls or textual content messages you can even contemplate eradicating your particulars from knowledge brokers, making certain that you simply use a proper to object to processing of your knowledge.

You can be taught extra about this on Rightly to cease the sharing of your knowledge exposing you to scams. And you’ll be able to take a free coaching course on methods to struggle in opposition to scams on www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk. The extra we speak about scams the extra we take away the disgrace.