The Home Office and delivery giant Evri have issued a joint and urgent warning to millions of households across the UK, as criminals exploit the festive season with a surge in sophisticated parcel delivery scams.
How The Delivery Scams Operate
Fraudsters are bombarding the public with convincing text messages and emails that appear to come from trusted delivery companies like Evri. These messages typically claim a parcel cannot be delivered or requires immediate action, creating a false sense of urgency.
Victims are then coerced into clicking on malicious links, which lead to fake websites expertly designed to mimic the official sites of legitimate courier firms. On these fraudulent pages, individuals are prompted to enter sensitive personal information or make a small payment to "secure" redelivery, effectively handing their financial details straight to criminals.
Official Advice: Stop, Think, Fraud
Lord Hanson, the Fraud Minister, emphasised the heightened risk during the busy shopping period. "As the festive shopping season brings excitement and pressure to act swiftly, it is more crucial than ever to protect yourself from potential scams," he stated.
He urged the public to adopt a cautious mindset: "A message that looks routine could be a scam aimed at taking your hard-earned money. Always remember: Stop! Think Fraud before acting on any delivery message or special offer."
The minister also highlighted government action, noting that work with mobile networks has blocked more than one billion scam text messages. He reaffirmed commitments under the strengthened Fraud Strategy to make the UK a hostile environment for fraudsters.
Evri's Warning on 'Spray and Pray' Tactics
Lee Howard, Head of Information Security at Evri, explained the criminals' methodology. "These criminals use what we call the 'spray and pray' method, taking advantage of the millions of parcels we deliver to households every day," he said.
He pointed out that the high volume of festive deliveries provides perfect cover for scammers. "They know sending thousands of messages every day means some of them are likely to reach people expecting a parcel, especially as parcel volumes rise over the festive period and people get busier."
Howard was clear on one key point: "Lots of these messages try to charge a 'redelivery fee' which is nonsense – we will attempt delivery three times before an item is returned, and we will never charge a re-delivery fee."
Evri continues to combat the issue, having successfully taken down more than 32,000 malicious scams. Howard encouraged consumers to keep reporting suspicious messages to aid these efforts.
Police Urge Vigilance Against 'Trust-Tactics'
Commander Tor Garnett, from the National Lead Force for Fraud at the City of London Police, warned that criminals deliberately exploit trust during the holidays. "Criminals will use the festive season as an opportunity to dupe consumers by using trust-tactics, like impersonating delivery companies on email or text and asking for money," she said.
She highlighted the increasing sophistication of the frauds, noting, "With criminals becoming savvier and AI being used to create scam websites or text messages, these can often appear as genuine."
Commander Garnett concluded by endorsing the public awareness campaign, stating, "That is why we are supporting the Government’s campaign by encouraging everyone to spot the signs of delivery scams and online shopping fraud."
The unified message from authorities and industry is clear: as parcel volumes peak, vigilance must peak with them. Shoppers are advised to independently verify any unexpected delivery communication by visiting the courier's official website directly, rather than clicking links in messages, and to never pay fees for redelivery via text or email links.
