Lloyds Bank has issued an urgent public warning as a wave of sophisticated scam texts, impersonating Royal Mail, targets UK customers. The fraudulent messages aim to trick recipients into handing over sensitive personal and banking information.
How the Royal Mail Scam Operates
The scam involves a text message, purportedly from Royal Mail, claiming there is an issue with a parcel delivery. The message contains a link that directs the victim to a convincing but fake website. This page then requests personal details, which fraudsters can use to commit identity theft or directly access bank accounts. Lloyds Bank, which has a significant presence including branches in Birmingham, is urging heightened vigilance.
Experts at the bank have identified several tell-tale signs that expose the messages as fraudulent. The communication often lacks the customer's name, contains spelling and grammatical errors, and uses an email address that does not end with the legitimate '@royalmail.com' domain.
Red Flags and Protective Advice
Lloyds emphasises that scammers frequently create a false sense of urgency or use threats to pressure people into acting without thinking. They advise anyone receiving an unexpected message to pause and ask critical questions:
- Is the sender asking for my personal or banking details?
- Does the message include an unsolicited link?
- Is there a demand for an urgent payment?
- Can I spot any spelling or grammar mistakes?
The bank's key guidance is to never click on links or reply to suspicious messages. Instead, customers should contact the company directly using a trusted phone number or official website. Hovering over an email address to reveal its true source or selecting it on a mobile device can also reveal discrepancies.
How Lloyds Bank Communicates Genuinely
To help customers distinguish real communications from fakes, Lloyds has clarified its official practices. Genuine emails from the bank will always include the customer's name and the last four digits of a relevant account. They may send links that direct customers securely into their mobile app.
Critically, Lloyds Bank states it will never:
- Send you to a webpage that asks for your login, personal, or banking details.
- Instruct you to move money to another account.
- Ask you to make an online test payment.
- Link directly to its Internet Banking login page from an email.
If a customer is unsure about an email's authenticity, they should forward it to emailscams@lloydsbanking.com and then delete it. Further verification can be done safely through the official Lloyds Mobile Banking app or Internet Banking service.
