Always check the number
Royal Mail have issued a statement warning people of the dangers of scams currently doing the rounds.
The scams are circulating in the form of text messages and emails, telling people to make payments in order to receive packages that have been sent to them.
You've probably received one of these texts at some point. The scammers often pretend to be banks, which can obviously have a big pay off for them if recipients fall for the trick. But it also sets off more alarm bells.
However right now, masquerading as the Royal Mail seems to be the on trend scam for cyber criminals.
The Royal Mail have urged people to be wary of these messages, posting a statement online.
"Royal Mail will only send email and SMS notifications to customers where the sender has requested this when using our trackable products that offer this service," the statement read.
"The only time we would ask customers to make a payment in an email or SMS is if a customs fee is due.
"In this case, we will also leave a grey card telling them there's a fee to pay, either for the international customs fee or a surcharge for an underpaid item, before we can release the item.
"This may arrive later than the email or SMS."
A spokesperson for the company then added: "Royal Mail Group works hard to prevent and detect fraud."
The texts generally look something like this, with a legit-looking link the scammer needs you to click on.
The first thing to look out for is the number a text has come from. If you've ever received a text from ASOS, a pizza delivery company, or your bank, the contact name will appear as the company's name, despite you never having saved their contact details.
If it appears, as above, as an unknown mobile number, it's a scam. You're best off deleting the message.
