People with mobile phones are being warned to stay on the alert for scam texts after reports of a fraudulent Royal Mail texts leading to card being "cloned".

Scammers are texting people impersonating the Royal Mail, aiming for people to click on a link and share information.

The message, allegedly sent from "Post Office" claims: "Sorry we missed you today [time] on [date]. Please book your redelivery for your parcel here."

A URL to a website alleging to go to the Royal Mail site follows the text.

One woman fell for the scam, reporting that fraudsters "cloned" their card and went on a shopping spree.

"I did click and pay, next thing I knew, my card was cloned and they tried to buy loads from Argos. Lucky my bank blocked it!" wrote a user on a Facebook group.

Users on the Facebook group shared stories of similar suspicious texts and scams.

Another wrote: "I get two a week and rumours are it has another sting in some.

"They say a parcel is underpaid for you or stuck at customs and then have you enter your bank details to pay an alleged charge and afterwards they have debited three times per time up to £250 your card."

A second said: "Expect these scams to get worse in the run-up to Christmas as everybody genuinely awaits parcels but remember Royal Mail doesn't have your mobile phone number so unless you get a card through the door with a reference number and real information on it don't do anything.

"A card you take to the local sorting office to pay has a Royal Mail phone number to pay or real website address you can check or you can put stamps on a card in a local post office."

One savvy Facebook user pointed out an easy strategy for spotting scam texts, writing: "Any company that has a mobile phone number in a text message I wouldn’t reply or open it."

Another commented: "I keep getting these text messages from the 'Post Office’.

"When the postman has not been able to deliver your parcel because you weren’t there, they normally leave a note and post it through your letterbox.

"That’s how I know these texts I’m getting from the supposed post office are phoney."