Christmas shopping is a time for joy and celebration, but it's also a prime target for scammers. Beware the 'spray and pay' parcel delivery scam that's targeting unsuspecting shoppers this holiday season!
You've snagged some incredible deals during the Black Friday rush (https://www.theguardian.com/business/black-friday), and your Christmas shopping is almost complete. But when a text message pops up about a delivery, it's easy to let your guard down. A simple click on a link, and you've paid the requested £2 redelivery fee. And that's when the trouble begins.
The package mentioned in the text doesn't exist. You've just handed your bank details to a criminal gang that has been bombarding mobile phones across the UK with thousands of similar messages after one of the busiest shopping days of the year. It's a sophisticated scam that preys on the confusion of the holiday season.
Fraud is reaching record levels, and authorities are on high alert. The government, mobile phone operators, and delivery companies have all issued warnings. Evri, a prominent courier in the UK, reported a staggering 10,000 cases of delivery fraud between November 2024 and January 2025. Lee Howard, Evri's head of information security, explains that the scammers' strategy is to 'spray' thousands of messages, knowing that some will hit the mark with people genuinely expecting a parcel.
But here's where it gets controversial. The scammers often charge a 'redelivery fee,' which is a clever ruse. They know that legitimate delivery companies typically attempt delivery multiple times before returning a package and never charge for redelivery. This is a key detail that scammers exploit, hoping that victims won't question the fee.
The scam unfolds with a text message claiming your delivery can't be made and urging you to rebook on a website. These messages may appear urgent and impersonal, lacking specific details about your order. And this is the part most people miss: the scammers are after more than just your money.
Scammers are hunting for personal information. They want payment details, email addresses, passwords, and phone numbers. This data is a goldmine, enabling them to steal money, redirect future parcels, and make victims vulnerable to further scams. Some gangs play the long game, taking small amounts over time, while others go for a big hit, hoping to slip through the cracks during busy transaction periods.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has also warned about scammers persuading people to download malware (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/scam-missed-parcel-sms-messages) through these fake text messages, allowing them to steal personal details.
So, how can you protect yourself? Here's what to do:
- Take a moment to think before responding to any delivery text.
- If you're expecting multiple parcels and receive an excessive number of texts, some are likely fraudulent.
- Be vigilant about who is delivering your parcels and expect communication only from those couriers.
- Be suspicious of texts lacking personal details or coming from unknown numbers.
- If you've shared account details, contact your bank immediately.
- Report fraudulent texts to your messaging app or forward them to 7726, then delete them to help protect others.
Stay safe this holiday season and spread the word about this insidious scam. Do you think these types of scams are becoming more sophisticated, and what can be done to better protect consumers? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
