Halifax has issued a warning over a surge in scam text messages that appear to be from the Post Office. The texts claim a delivery attempt has failed and ask recipients to pay a £1.99 shipping fee, tricking them into revealing financial details that criminals then use to authorise loans.
The bank shared an image of the fraudulent text on social media, urging customers not to reply or click any links. A Halifax spokesperson said: “Fraudsters can send texts that look real, if you get one like this, don’t reply or click on any links. To check if it's real, call the company on a number from their site.”
Scam texts from Royal Mail and other delivery services have soared over the past 18 months, as fraudsters capitalise on the rise in online shopping during the pandemic. According to consumer group Which?, three-fifths of British people have received fake delivery messages.
One Which? member, Jon, received a text supposedly from Royal Mail asking for £2.99 while he was expecting a delivery. He clicked the link, which led to a convincing fake website, and entered his bank details. “I did everything you’re supposed to, including checking if the URL was right. The scammers just caught me at the wrong time,” he said.
Halifax advises customers to delete the message and report it by forwarding it to 7726 (free) or emailing security@halifax.co.uk. Anyone who loses money should report it to Action Fraud (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) or Police Scotland.
