Fake delivery scams have soared during the pandemic with more than 60% of Britons reporting receiving at least one such text in the past year, researc

Fake delivery scam texts soar in pandemic with 60% of Britons targeted

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2021-06-29 08:00:16

Fake delivery scams have soared during the pandemic with more than 60% of Britons reporting receiving at least one such text in the past year, research from the consumer rights group Which? has revealed.

The scams are so prevalent that even entirely new mobile numbers, which have not been shared, are receiving fraudulent texts within days of new accounts being created.

Thanks to the pandemic, e-commerce has boomed in Britain, in turn making fake deliveries a fruitful avenue for scammers seeking to trick unsuspecting shoppers into handing over personal details and draining their bank accounts. The texts, which usually claim that a package has missed its delivery window or requires a fee to be paid, are often the first toehold in an attack chain that can result in victims being tricked into draining their entire bank accounts.

While 70% of those who reported receiving such a scam text said they had realised what it was immediately, one in 30 said they had lost money as a result of being tricked.