People purchasing items for home delivery have been warned to watch out for scammers who are taking advantage of delays caused by industrial action at the Royal Mail.
The national postal service recently warned customers that postage could be affected by union strike action, and security experts say that criminals are using this to mount phishing attacks that could steal money from innocent victims. The Express says that Action Fraud reported online shoppers across the UK lost £15.4m to scammers during the festive season last year, and it says with this year's longer delivery delays there is greater opportunity for the scammers to trick unsuspecting victims waiting for their parcels.
The scam works by the conmen sending out an email claiming that the person has missed a parcel or that it is being held. The victims are then redirected to a website that looks like the Royal Mail’s official site to arrange delivery. They have to enter their details on the site, and depending on the version of the scam, they could either be asked to pay a small fee or call a premium rate phone number.
The security team at Next Day Delivery said: "This scam is known as a phishing scam and if you are waiting for a parcel or have ordered many gifts online this month then it's easy to fall for. The easiest way to tell if these emails are legitimate is to check the sending address of the emailer.
"You can do this on your computer or your phone by clicking on the person's name.”
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