Consumers are being warned about a surge in parcel delivery scams as fraudsters exploit the Black Friday shopping rush. Criminals are sending thousands of fake text messages claiming a parcel could not be delivered, asking recipients to pay a small redelivery fee via a link. The messages, which often include QR codes, are designed to steal personal and financial information.
Delivery company Evri reported 10,000 cases of delivery fraud between November 2024 and January 2025. Lee Howard, Evri's head of information security, said the 'spray and pay' method involves sending mass messages in the hope that some reach people genuinely expecting a parcel. He stressed that legitimate couriers never charge a redelivery fee.
The scam texts typically create urgency, saying a delivery attempt failed and directing victims to a fake website that mimics a courier's site. Victims are asked to pay £1 or £2 to reschedule, but the real goal is to harvest bank details, email addresses, and passwords. Murray Mackenzie of Virgin Media O2 warned that even providing an email and password can allow criminals to redirect future parcels or target victims in further scams.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has also warned that some links may install malware on phones to steal personal data. Experts advise consumers to verify all delivery notifications directly with the courier, avoid clicking links in unsolicited texts, and report suspicious messages by forwarding them to 7726.
