North Wales Police and Wrexham Trading Standards are warning people of a phishing scam that is doing the rounds in the run up to Christmas.
The fraud begins with a text message, supposedly from Royal Mail, that informs people they have a ‘parcel’ ready to collect, but they will need to pay a £2.99 fee to do so.
This is nothing to do with Royal Mail, it’s a scam!
A link then takes the person to a very sophisticated looking website that has the web address royal-mail.cloud.
Scammers are imitating a Royal Mail webpage – https://t.co/lpkG0XNKvw
and texting victims saying there is a parcel ready for collection, but £2.99 must be paid first. They ask fora photo and further details. Nothing to do with Royal Mail. It's a scam. pic.twitter.com/Pj5rnRflyf— North Wales Police (@NWPolice) November 12, 2019
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The page uses the official Royal Mail logo and looks very authentic, making it very easy for people to be conned.
It offers a tracking number for ‘Royal Mail Express’ and cites the £2.99 cost. The fraud will prompt people who click through to enter their personal details including full name, date of birth, address and card details.
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Roger Mapleson, Trading Standards and Licensing Lead, said: “There are a number of phishing scams around in the lead up to Christmas and this website (royal-mail.cloud) looks very professional and sadly has the potential to mislead people into giving over personal details and getting defrauded.
“These type of scams are becoming more sophisticated all the time, so it’s important to be cautious when handing over any personal details. If you think something is suspicious, please contact either Citizens Advice Consumer Services on 03454 040506 or North Wales Police on 101 who will be able to advise you.”
If you have been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, or think you may have been, speak to your bank or building society and report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040. Royal Mail also advises any customer who receive a suspicious email or discover a Royal Mail branded website that they believe to be fraudulent to report it to them.
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