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Royal Mail’s site warns against online scams that “look like they’re sent by Royal Mail, but are in fact fraud or phishing scams”.

And given that they say these scams are “on the rise,” keeping a weather eye out for suspicious texts and emails is more important than ever.

Plus, according to Mark Baars, a tech expert at Unit4, the latest round of scam emails and texts he’s seen are unusually convincing.

“What makes these messages so effective is that they don’t feel urgent or threatening. They feel routine. That’s why people fall for them,” he said.

Then, there’s the time of year to consider. “This is the peak period for returns, delayed parcels and redelivery requests. People expect follow-up messages, so their guard is already down.”

What can scam texts look like?

Per Baars, the most common sort of Royal Mail scam text “usually says there’s a small issue with delivery. It might mention an incomplete address, a missed delivery slot or a small unpaid fee”.

This can be effective, he said, because it doesn’t flag........

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