Stay safe online this Black Friday and avoid delivery scams

Published: 22/11/2023

Over the last few years, we've seen an increasing number of scams involving the impersonation of delivery services. These scams are usually associated with online purchases so with Black Friday officially starting on Friday, and the festive shopping period just around the corner, now's the time to be extra vigilant to avoid being swindled.

These fraudsters will reach out to you via text, email or phone and attempt to convince you their message is from a well-known delivery company like Royal Mail, Evri, DPD, ParcelForce etc. They will tell you there is an issue with a parcel that is supposedly on its way to you. If you do a lot of online shopping, there is a very high chance that you really are expecting a parcel, which is how people are easily tricked!

They may say that your address needs updating, they tried to deliver but you weren’t in, or that you need to pay some customs fees. Their aim is to get you to click on a link where you will be asked to enter personal details, download an app or provide payment.

The messages will often threaten the loss of your parcel if you don’t take action. What makes this scam so tough to spot is that the messages are so similar to legitimate ones sent out by delivery services all the time.

Some key things to look out for are:

• Consider if you are actually expecting a delivery, and if so try and identify from whom you are expecting it. Online retailers will usually tell you their delivery partner.
• If the URL doesn’t look like it belongs to the company, it’s probably a scam. If you’re not sure where a link is leading you can hover over it with your mouse, or if you’re on your phone long-press to see the destination web address.
• The message doesn't say the name of which company the parcel is from.
• Your phone doesn’t automatically recognise the number as belonging to a delivery service.

If in doubt, the best way to stay safe is to ignore the message and contact the retailer yourself.

Planning a shopping spree this Black Friday? Review our advice on how not to get caught out.

You can report spam or malicious texts by forwarding them to 7726. If you believe you’re the victim of online fraud, you can report this on the Action Fraud website or by calling 0300 123 2040.

If you've clicked a fraudulent link and sent money before you realised it was a scam, try not to worry. You should report it to your bank and they will be to advise if there is any way to get your money back.

If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, please get in touch with the Digital Technologies service desk for guidance.