Martin Lewis has issued a warning about a ‘clever’ new version of a delivery scam text which has been circulating since the early days of lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.
The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com shared with his 1.5 million followers on Twitter that he had received a delivery scam text, which the consumer champion warns is designed to steal the recipient’s bank details as it prompts them to pay a ‘fee’ by informing them that their parcel is delayed or needs rescheduled.
Martin wrote on Twitter: “Beware. Just had a clever version of the 'pay £1.99 for Post Office Parcel delivery' scam text, aiming to steal bank info.”
He continued: “The 'fee' isn't mentioned in the text, it talks about "delays in transit" and offers "a date to reschedule". It's only when you click thru it mentions a fee.”
One person responded: “We need the [UK] Government to be much more proactive here, in terms of informing the public about these scams. We need more leaflets and TV adverts, aimed at older people, to show them examples.”
However, the award-winning financial journalist disagreed and said: “Sorry to disagree but no we don't. There are too many scams to inform esp the vulnerable of em all.
“We need better laws and regulation to prevent scams, and govt to actually fund police to investigate & prosecute these criminals, rather than let them scam & defraud with impunity.”
The warning comes at a time when young adults are the most likely age group to have been scammed in recent months, according to new research by Barclays.
The bank’s data found that one in four (25%) scam victims between March and May 2022 was aged 21 to 30.
But a separate survey of 2,000 people for the bank found that just over three-quarters (76%) of 21 to 30-year-olds are confident they will not fall victim to a scam.
Barclays said scams often take place on tech platforms such as social media, purchase/auction websites, or dating apps, making younger people particularly susceptible.
Purchase scams, where people buy goods that never arrive or are not as advertised, are by far the most common type of scam - accounting for more than half (60%) of all scams in the last three months, according to Barclays’ data.
People aged 21 to 30 made up 28% of purchase scam victims in the statistics, compared with 4% who are aged 61 to 70 and just 2% who are over 70.
Ross Martin, head of digital safety at Barclays, said: “Many people picture an elderly person when they think of a scam victim, and, while it’s true that older people are more likely to fall for higher value scams, the most common type of scams are where people are tricked into buying something they never receive.
“The best advice is if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
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