Royal Mail has issued a stark warning to households across the UK: never pay a £2.99 shipping fee requested via text message. The postal service’s official guidance states that falling for such scams could result in your personal information being stolen or your bank account drained through fraud or phishing.
Scammers frequently construct fake websites that appear authentic, then impersonate a trusted company or an individual you know. They send messages containing links to these bogus sites, luring victims into entering sensitive details or making payments.
Royal Mail’s Official Advice on Suspicious Messages
On its website, Royal Mail emphasises that customers should never “click on any of the links” contained in texts or emails. The company urges people to always “be vigilant if you receive a communication which you aren’t sure about.” This guidance comes as part of a broader effort to protect consumers from increasingly sophisticated phishing attempts.
Royal Mail specifically highlights two scam text messages currently in circulation. The first “tells you there’s a £2.99 shipping fee to collect your package. Clicking on the link takes you to a fake site.” The second message, also requesting the same fee, reads: “Text message saying a parcel is waiting for delivery. Please confirm the settlement of 2.99 (GBP) via a link. Do not click on the link.”
How to Report a Scam to Royal Mail
If you receive a suspicious email, text message, telephone call, or discover a Royal Mail-branded website that you believe is fraudulent, Royal Mail asks that you report it immediately. For suspicious emails, forward the message to reportascam@royalmail.com. The company advises: “do not click on any links or attachments and then delete it from your inbox.”
For suspicious text messages, send Royal Mail a screenshot of the message to the same address. For suspicious calls or websites, include the phone number or website address in the body of the email. This ensures the security team has all necessary details to investigate.
Additional Reporting Channels via NCSC and 7726
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) explains that most phone providers participate in a scheme allowing customers to report suspicious text messages for free by forwarding them to 7726. “If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender, if it’s found to be malicious,” the NCSC states.
If 7726 does not work, you can contact your phone provider to find out how to report a text message. Alternatively, you can take a screenshot or screen recording of the message and send it to the NCSC at report@phishing.gov.uk. Royal Mail also encourages people to use the 7726 number, adding: “An easy way to remember ‘7726' is that they are the numbers on your telephone keypad that spell out the word ‘SPAM'.”
