Shopping online can be a great way to find festive gifts for friends and family, from Black Friday deals to New Year sales. Scammers take advantage of all the online shopping at this time of year by posing as delivery companies, preying on your hunt for a good deal.
You probably think you could never fall victim to a scam, but the truth is, anyone could.
This is because scammers:
UK Finance reported that £85.9 million was lost to purchase scams in 2023.
On this page:
The name on the message may appear genuine as scammers can easily fake this. These messages are often sent through WhatsApp or SMS. The message might seem really believable, as scammers are becoming harder to spot.
The link in the message might appear to look like a real delivery company’s link, as this is easy for scammers to do with fake websites.
The website may ask you to enter sensitive details such as bank account and credit or debit card numbers. It might also ask for personal information that could help a scammer pretend to know or be you.
No genuine organisation will ask for this kind of information to reorganise a parcel delivery. You should use a company's official website and tracking services to check what's happening with your delivery.
The scammer could get direct access to your bank account if you gave out sensitive information. They might use your details to pretend to be you, verifying the details with your bank by phoning them. They can then freely transfer your money to their own account. Read more about how scammers use your details to take over your bank account.
These fake messages can look very real, especially when you are expecting many deliveries. But scammers will use this information to steal your money or try to scam you another way. Malicious texts can often be part of a wider scam.
Entering your details could also lead to a phone call from someone pretending to be your bank, or the Police. Read more about impersonation scams.
Even if you do not enter any details, it’s also possible for scammers to use these links they send to you to scam you. Links can contain malware which downloads to your device. The scammer can then gain access to your personal details and passwords by spying on your activity.
Scammers know it can be hard to keep track of your deliveries, especially during the festive period. Remember: