Scam warnings as fake DPD and Royal Mail delivery emails and texts rise sharply

An example of the phishing messages sent by scammers encouraging recipients to click the link.

There are renewed warnings to be aware of delivery scams and phishing emails claiming to be from DPD and Royal Mail.

Fraudsters are sending texts and emails that claim delivery drivers were "unable to deliver your parcel" as "you weren’t in or there was no safe place to leave it", or that there is an outstanding charge on the package.

The message then gives instructions on how to arrange another delivery, leading to websites that request a small payment to rearrange the delivery.

If payment is made the recipient then receives a phone call within a few days from someone claiming to be from their bank to inform them about suspicious transactions on their account.

They are then instructed their bank account may be compromised and instructed to transfer their money to an 'alternative secure account' to prevent further losses.

Criminals carrying out this scam are able to use a tactic known as "spoofing" to make the call or text appear genuine by cloning the phone number, or sender ID, used by the bank.

How do I know if it is phishing?

  • Keep track of receipts or confirmation emails to check if you have ordered anything recently

  • Don't click the link - go to the sender's website to see if the tracking number is real.

  • Is it asking asking for money or personal information - if it is, it is likely to be a scam

  • Check the sender's address - is it a random address, or does it look like the company but there are spelling mistakes or something has subtly changed

  • Is the greeting impersonal - often messages will be addressed 'Dear Customer' or 'Dear Sir/Madam'

  • Is it written poorly - look out for badly written sentences with spelling and grammatical errors

You can see more advice from DPD here.

What do I do if I have received a message like this?

If you receive an email you should forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service at report@phishing.gov.uk.

You can report suspicious texts you have received but not acted upon, by forwarding the original message to 7726, which spells SPAM on your keypad.

What do I do if I have clicked the links and paid money?

If you have acted upon a message you have received, and you think you may be a victim of a fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040 as soon as possible.