People are receiving scam texts that claim to be from Royal Mail, but actually lead to a fraudulent website.
(Picture: Getty Images)People have reported receiving Royal Mail scam texts from “local depot 27” claiming that they missed a package and need to reschedule a delivery.
Anyone who receives this text message should be aware that this is a phishing scam.
The scammers are hoping to steal personal information or banking details, which they can gather if you click through the link to a fake Royal Mail website and enter any information.
Find out below what to look out for and how you can report the local depot 27 text.
What is the Local Depot 27 scam?
The Local Depot 27 text reads: “Jamie tried to deliver your parcel contents today, but nobody was in. Please schedule a new date.”
There is a link containing the words “local depot 27” attached to the text.
The text appears to be coming from various mobile numbers, but the name Jamie, the message, and the link, appear to be the same every time.
The scam link leads to a site that looks like the Royal Mail website. It prompts people to first enter their postcode, and then leads them to a page to “find their package.”
It claims that due to Covid, the post office is no longer leaving redelivery cards, but instead, claims that people need to enter their details online.
A form appears asking for a full name, address, and email address. Then, after claiming your package is in transit, it asks for your date of birth and mobile number.
Finally, it will ask for your bank card details in order to pay for a new delivery.
Do not enter any personal information on a website you do not trust. Even though it looks like the Royal Mail website, it’s fraudulent.
If you have genuinely missed a delivery from Royal Mail, the postal worker will leave a “Something for you” card. You can book a redelivery for free directly on the Royal Mail website at www.royalmail.com/receiving-mail/redelivery. Redelivery will always be free, so be wary of any websites asking for payment.
Royal Mail warnings against scam texts
The Royal Mail has urged people to be aware of a number of scam texts.
These include texts that say you need to reschedule your delivery, a package is waiting to be collected, or you need to pay to have the package delivered.
They each contain links, with some of them even including the words “royal mail,” or leading to a website that looks just like the Royal Mail website, to try to deceive the recipients.
If you receive a scam text that claims to be from the post office, you can report it by forwarding the text to 7726. Alternatively, you can take a screenshot and send it to reportascam@royalmail.com.
