With the Christmas shopping season ramping up, experts have warned people to be aware of common scams that circulate, particularly text message fraud targeting online shoppers.
More Brits might be vulnerable to text message scams coming up to Christmas, as many households stock up on festive gifts and supplies by shopping online. An iPhone expert has warned Brits to be wary of such scams and steps they can take to protect themselves.
Surge in phishing and impersonation scams
Earlier this year, it was reported that phishing and impersonation scams had surged, with fraudsters sending emails and text messages posing as from the likes of HMRC, NatWest and Royal Mail. These scams often aim to steal a person's money or personal information.
Experts say November and December are peak times for Brits to shop online for Christmas, meaning more people may be caught out by these nasty scams. Azza Kidiwala, iPhone Tech Expert at Techwala, said that people who are expecting a package might not be as suspicious of a scam email or text message.
"An expected parcel can make an unexpected text feel believable because you're already waiting for an update," she revealed. "A useful habit, I think, is to leave the message alone for a moment before deciding what to do, so its urgency doesn't make the decision for you."
She said that a key thing to look out for when you suspect a message is fraudulent is a demand to pay for an unpaid item by text or email.
Advice from the National Cyber Security Centre
Meanwhile, the National Cyber Security Centre advises recipients not to click any links in messages and not to install any apps if prompted. Instead, they should forward suspicious messages to 7726, the free reporting service, before being deleted.
Back in August, consumer experts Which? warned of scam artists posing as Royal Mail through email, prompting people to pay customs charges. "You're then given a link to follow to make this payment, but the link will lead to a site designed to steal your personal information," the consumer champions had warned.
How to spot Royal Mail scams
According to Royal Mail, scam messages often claim there's a problem with your parcel and urge you to act quickly. The postal service lists a number of examples of common scams, including messages that say a parcel has returned to a local Royal Mail facility, a request for a customs fee or a request to enter a delivery address.
To protect yourself from such scams, Royal Mail says recipients should always visit the official website themselves instead of using any links provided.
Meanwhile, Yorkshire Building Society warns that in periods where you are more likely to be buying lots of items online, such as Christmas, you may receive a text or email claiming to be from a delivery company. It urges people to check the phone number when they receive such texts.
Warning signs include a rushed sense of urgency in the message, spelling and grammatical errors, and a lack of details about your parcel.
