At least three-in-five targeted by fake delivery texts and one-in-four targeted by holiday scams, research suggests
At least three-in-five people in the UK have been targeted by scams in the last year, research suggests.
Some 61% of people have received a fake delivery company text over the past year, according to consumer group Which? while almost one-in-four have been targeted by holiday scams, Lloyds Bank says.
With many households relying on deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic, fraudsters will pose as couriers and delivery companies to con people.
Of those who received the scam texts, 79% realised it was fake immediately, but 3% said they lost money to the scam.
Which? also conducted its own experiment, setting up four new Sim cards with major network providers.
The consumer champion said despite the numbers not being shared with anyone, two out of the four received at least one scam text message in just a two-week period.
Scammers use computers to generate combinations of numbers and send messages in bulk using “Sim farms” – devices that operate several Sim cards at a time, Which? said.
Numbers are often masked or “spoofed” to avoid detection – so someone may appear to have received a text from a delivery company, when it is actually a scammer.
Of those surveyed who said they received one or more scam texts, seven in 10 (70%) had received one purporting to be from the Royal Mail.
Messages usually request a small payment for a parcel to be delivered, with a link to a copycat Royal Mail website, and victims are then called by scammers to try to trick them into sending large sums of money.
Royal Mail told Which?: “We remind our customers that Royal Mail will only send email and SMS notifications in cases where the sender has requested this when using our trackable products that offer this service.
"In cases where customers need to pay a surcharge for an underpaid item, we would let them know by leaving a grey ‘fee to pay’ card. We would not request payment by email or text.
“The only time we would ask customers to make a payment by email or by text is in some instances where a customs fee is due.
"In such cases, we would also leave a grey card telling customers that there’s a fee to pay before we can release the item."
As well as fake parcel scams, fraudsters could be waiting to benefit from holidaymakers looking for a last-minute deal, with around one-in-five adults yet to book a trip away this year, according to Lloyds Bank.It is urging people to avoid sending money by bank transfer – a method often used by criminals to trick people into handing over cash.
Philip Robinson, retail fraud prevention director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Fraudsters are poised to jump on any potential way to trick people into handing over money.”
On the methods scammers may use, Mr Robinson said: “This could be advertising deals and accommodation on fake websites disguised as genuine companies or luring people in to buying non-existent items or package deals on social media.
“At the same time they are still profiting from a favourite scam tactic – sending texts about deliveries or so-called account activity with phishing links to gather information and then contacting people pretending to be from their bank or another organisation.”
He said that if someone insists on a bank transfer rather than a card payment or wants to avoid official payment mechanisms “this should be an immediate red flag”.
What should you do if you fall victim to a scam?
If a seller tries to push you into paying for something by bank transfer, that can be a big red flag that it is a scam.
Do not click on any link in a text or email that you were not expecting. These can be “phishing” for your details and are often a scam.
Fraudsters can easily fake websites and make documents appear real to trick you into making payments for goods or booking holidays or accommodation – never be rushed in and take time to speak to a friend or family.
If you receive a scam text, forward it to the network provider on 7726.
If you have fallen victim to a scam, contact your bank to ensure the scammer cannot take any more money from your account and ask to be reimbursed. Many banks have promised to reimburse blameless victims by signing up to a voluntary code protecting bank transfer scams. However, banks may challenge customers if they think the customer did not take precautions.
If you fall victim to a scam and pay by credit card, you may be able to make a claim for a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if something goes wrong with your purchase. People paying by debit card may be able to recoup their funds using chargeback.
If you are unable to get your money back from the bank and feel this is unfair, you could complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.