The UK’s leading fraud prevention organisation has issued a warning about new scams involving Royal Mail deliveries and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Cifas has said Royal Mail phishing scams are asking people to enter their personal details in order to reschedule a delivery, before those details are then used in fraudulant transactions.

While the DVLA has issued similar warnings over messages about overpaid car tax.

Incomplete Royal Mail delivery scam

With the coronavirus pandemic meaning people could not meet up to exchange gifts over Christmas, many opted to post parcels instead - and criminals took advantage of this.

There have been a number of reports of scam emails and texts purporting to be from Royal Mail notifying recipients of parcels which were unable to be delivered over Christmas, often claiming this was due to an ‘incomplete address’.

These fake messages are redirecting recipients to phishing websites which ask them to enter personal and banking details to pay the fee for a rearranged delivery.

However, details provided on these websites may be used in future fraudulent conduct, such as identity fraud.

Anyone who receives this or a similar email should carefully inspect the sender’s email address as scam emails will often include an extra letter, number or full stop in an attempt to make the fake email address appear genuine.

They should also check with the addressee to ensure they received their parcel, and if possible track the delivery using tracking details provided when the parcel was sent.

If personal and banking details have been provided in response to one of these scam emails, victims should report the case to the police via 101 and contact their bank immediately.

DVLA phishing scam

The DVLA has issued a warning to motorists of scam messages attempting to trick them into handing over personal and banking details.

The scam messages claim the driver has overpaid their car tax and is due a refund, or that there has been an issue with payment and they must update their information.

The DVLA are advising anyone who has provided details to one of these scam messages to report a case to the police and contact their bank immediately.

Phishing emails can also be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk.

Scammers impersonating Cifas

Cifas has also received reports of scammers emailing victims pretending to be from a Cifas department.

In these scam emails, recipients are asked to provide personal details which could be used to facilitate identity fraud and are signed from ‘CIFAS’.

Cifas will never contact consumers out of the blue to ask for personal or banking details, and any communications will be sent from Cifas email accounts.

When receiving communications from Cifas, recipients should carefully check the email address for any spelling mistakes and ensure it has come from an official Cifas email address.

Any recipients who may have provided their details to one of these scam emails should contact Cifas using details on their website and report the case to the police.

If bank details have also been provided, then victims should alert their bank immediately.

Speaking about the latest alerts, Sally Felton, director of intelligence and member experience for Cifas, said: “Criminals are always on the lookout for the latest vulnerabilities in day-to-day life to take advantage of.

"With the nation back into lockdown, we can be confident they’ll continue to look for new and innovative ways to attempt to steal our personal and financial information – especially with an increasing number of us shopping and transacting online.

“People need to remain vigilant against these scams and think carefully when responding to any requests by email, text or phone.

"Never click on links provided in emails or texts, or give your personal or financial details to anyone over the phone or on your doorstep – no matter how legitimate the caller appears.”