Royal Mail customers are being urged to lookout for a new scam that's catching people out.
With many people opting to send their cards and presents for Christmas with the postal service, it's important you know about a fake email that's circulating.
Appearing to be from Royal Mail, the scam message claims that a letter has failed to be delivered and in order to retrieve it you need to pay £1.99.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
The email first came to light in Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire after a village resident received it.
Wycombe District Neighbourhood Watch website explained: “The resident was sure that this low-value transaction was not unreasonable and provided personal and card details to support the payment.
“However, the resident had second thoughts and realised that this action was unwise.
"They contacted the relevant fraud department and cancelled all cards before any damage had been done!”
Worryingly, if you fall for the scam, it could give hackers access to your card details, allowing them to defraud large amounts of money, reports the Mirror.
Ray Walsh, Digital Privacy Expert at ProPrivacy said: “Anybody who receives an email claiming to be from the Royal Mail must remember that they will not ever be asked to pay a redelivery fee.
“Never input your bank or card information after following a link on any emails that claims it is from the Royal Mail because it will result in your card details being stolen by criminals.”
If you believe you may have fallen for the scam, make sure you contact your bank, and check your statement for any signs of unauthorised transactions.
Enter your postcode below to claim a free scratchcard
Mr Walsh added: “Although this Royal Mail scam has only been reported locally so far, it will almost certainly spread nationwide due to Black Friday and online Christmas shopping.
“For this reason, it is vital for consumers to be watchful for any attempts to make them part with their payment details for re-delivery of any letter or package.”
