Royal Mail issues HMRC email scam warning as people told 'do not click'

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https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/m ... l-30040497

The common email scam can be avoided by staying vigilant

Royal Mail has issued a scam warning to anyone with access to emails - urging them not to click on anything suspicious. The postal service has long been impersonated by scammers.

Thousands of people in the UK have received fake emails and texts falsely claiming to be from Royal Mail. One common email scam going around at the moment claims that a Royal Mail delivery driver 'attempted' to drop off the recipient's parcel, allegedly from HMRC, but failed because 'no one was available'.

The email asks the person to rearrange the delivery by clicking a 'reschedule now' button. But Royal Mail has warned homeowners to avoid falling for the scam.

It said: "The email informs you that you have missed a package delivery from HMRC Revenue & Customs and gives a link to reschedule the delivery. Do not click on any links or enter any details"

Royal Mail has issued advice on what to do if you're suspicious about an email or text claiming to be from the postal service:

If you receive a suspicious email, text message, telephone call or discover a Royal Mail branded website which you think is fraudulent, report it by emailing reportascam@royalmail.com
For suspicious emails, forward the email to the same email above and do not click on any links or attachments before deleting if from your inbox
For suspicious text messages, send Royal Mail a screenshot of the message to reportascam@royalmail.com
For suspicious calls or websites, include the phone number or website address in the body of the email

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "If you have been the victim of a payment scam, you can get a crime reference number by reporting it to your local police station. If you have clicked on a link, provided any personal data like your bank account details on a website or over the phone or you’re concerned that you’ve been compromised, you should also report the scam to Action Fraud."