Within the first few months of this year, Citizen’s Advice have stated that nearly 40 million people have already been targeted by scammers.
Nearly half of these (49%) have been delivery scams, so with this in mind, we have compiled the most common ones to look out for, and how to report them.
Be on the lookout for an Amazon delivery ‘brushing’ scam. This involves receiving a parcel from Amazon that you didn’t order.
As part of the scam, fraudsters will acquire your name and address (either through legitimate means or illegally) and use it set up a fake Amazon account. Then they’ll place orders for goods that they’re selling on Amazon and get them delivered to your address. This allows them to use the fake account to write what appear to be genuine reviews. The aim is to help boost their business’s ratings and sell more of their products online.
Historically, many of these unsolicited parcels have contained seeds. More recently, there have been reports of people receiving ‘Suzhichou’ branded scarves they didn’t order. However, there is no single set item you might receive as part of a ‘brushing’ scam – you could receive anything.
Keep an eye out for any unexpected parcel deliveries addressed to you. If you receive a parcel that doesn’t have a return address, it could be a scam.
If you’ve received an unsolicited package from Amazon, first, you should check if any of your friends and family have sent you anything. If not, you should:
Note: you can keep, dispose or donate the item if you wish.
Text scams (smishing scams) and email scams (phishing scams) are designed to encourage victims to enter their details (such as usernames, passwords and bank details). Fraudsters will then use these details for their own personal gain.
With a DPD parcel scam, you will usually receive a text or email claiming that DPD has tried to deliver a package to you, but you weren’t in. You’ll then be directed to a link where you’ll be asked to insert your details to pay for the parcel to be redelivered – even though the parcel doesn’t exist.
If the sender’s email address is not dpd.co.uk, dpdlocal.co.uk or dpdgroup.co.uk, then you can be confident that the email has not come from DPD themselves.
Also, DPD links should always be either www.dpd.co.uk/ or www.dpdlocal.co.uk/.
If you think you’ve been targeted by the DPD parcel delivery scam, contact DPD on 0121 275 0500.
The Evri scam works in the same way as the DPD one in that fraudsters are sending text messages and emails to unsuspecting victims. They usually state that there's a problem with their parcel, delivery address or payment information.
If you receive an email from Evri with the subject “Evri – Verify yourself” and you haven’t got an account with Evri, then you should treat it as a scam.
Genuine Evri emails will usually come from either:
If you receive a text asking for payment, this is also likely to be a fake, as Evri never ask for payment via text.
To check if an email or text is genuine, you can call Evri on 0330 808 5456 or contact them via their webchat system.
There are lots of Royal Mail delivery scams constantly circulating via email and text which request payment for a parcel to be redelivered.
This type of scam can be tricky to spot as there are occasions where Royal Mail need you to contact them before a letter or parcel can be delivered, such as if the sender has not paid the correct amount for postage. However, they normally do this by dropping a card through your door.
To help you be able to tell a scam from a real message from Royal Mail, they have put together a list of examples, showing the types of scam emails and texts that have been issued in their name.
To report a scam to Royal Mail:
The Post Office scam involves a victim receiving a text message saying that their parcel has been returned to a Post Office depot. The recipient is encouraged to click on a link and enter personal details, such as their name, address, date of birth and contact number. This information can then be used to access bank accounts and other personal accounts to commit identity fraud.
The Post Office scam can be difficult to spot, as victims aren’t explicitly asked to make a payment. Plus, the link on the text takes you to a fake website that looks just like the official Post Office site. But, if you haven’t ordered a parcel, it could well be a scam.
If you’re worried you’re being targeted as part of a Post Office scam, you should report it using the following email address: [email protected].
No matter the type of scam, there are some general warning signs to be aware of that may help you spot when something dodgy may be going on:
Bad spelling and grammar may indicate that it has not been sent from an official company.
Generic greetings such as ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or ‘Dear Customer’ are red flags, as a legitimate company would normally have your name on record.
Links you are being urged to click on should be treated with suspicion. If you're not 100% sure that the message is genuine, don't click on the link.
If you receive an email or text asking for money, you should always contact the company that's requesting the payment via details you find yourself, to check if it’s legitimate.
Protect yourself by following these steps:
For more advice on how to report a scam, please visit Citizen’s Advice.
Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure that content is correct at the time of publication. Please note that information published on this website does not constitute financial advice, and we aren’t responsible for the content of any external sites.
Adele is a personal finance writer with more than 10 years in the finance industry behind her. She writes clear and engaging guides on all things loans for Ocean, as well as contributing blogs to help people understand their options when it comes to money.
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