With Christmas just over three weeks away and Black Friday having just happened, many people have been busy at the end of lockdown shopping online to buy festive gifts for friends and loved ones.
But as customers wait for their deliveries, the huge rise in online orders has not gone unnoticed by scammers who have been reported posing as DPD and Royal Mail in an attempt to steal from peoples’ bank accounts.
Police have warned of several scam text and emails circulating that appear to be from Royal Mail or DPD.
The messages state that the couriers have tried to deliver a parcel, and ask you to click a link to reschedule the delivery.
The link directs you to an authentic looking website, which asks for your full name, address, date of birth and mobile number.
If you complete the form, you’ll then be prompted to enter your credit card details, which the scammers can then use to drain your bank account.
Detective Inspector Rob Buns, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “This scam is very convincing with Christmas a few weeks away and many people are shopping online and waiting for their orders to be delivered.
“It’s important to check the details in the messages and make sure it is genuinely related to an item you have ordered. Does the message use your name, rather than to an email address? Does it mention the goods or company you have ordered items from? If in doubt do not click the link and contact the vendor directly via their website.
“Please help us to raise awareness by talking about this with your friends and family, especially if they are vulnerable or elderly.”
And Ray Walsh, Digital Privacy Expert at ProPrivacy, added: “Anybody in the UK that receives a text message purporting to be from a delivery service must remember that it could be a scam and that they should never follow any links contained in SMS messages or provide their information to the sender.
