With Christmas only a few weeks away now, many Brits will turn to the Royal Mail to deliver cards and presents to their loved ones.
But if you’re a Royal Mail customer, make sure you’re on the lookout for a new scam email that’s circulating.
The scam email claims that the Royal Mail has an undelivered letter for you, and requires you to pay £1.99 for them to redeliver it.
It was first flagged by Wycombe District Neighbourhood Watch in Flackwell Heath, after a village resident received it.
The 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.
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 you bank, and check your statement for any signs of unauthorised transactions.
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.”
