Martin Lewis warns ITV viewers about Royal Mail scam

The scam sees fraudsters attempt to steal bank details by sending a fake text.

It led to many accounts of people falling victim - including one graduate who lost thousands.

Trading Standards has said the scam is still doing the rounds.

Hoax texts have been followed by malicious emails - and Trading Standards have issued a fresh warning

And during an appearance on ITV's This Morning last week, Martin Lewis told people what to do if they get a text.

One caller had received a text from Royal Mail and wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Eammon Holmes read the message aloud on air.

He said: “Your package has been held and will not be delivered due to a £1.99 unpaid shipping fee.

“To pay this now visit – and then they say deposit delivery fee dot com.”

Martin immediately recognised the message as a scam.

He said: “That is a scam.”

“That is a very well-known scam.”

The finance expert went on to explain that it is not only Royal Mail that sends customers those type of messages.

“It’s not just Royal Mail,” he said.

“It’s DPD and other delivery companies.

Martin continued: “When they get you to pay that charge you’re effectively giving them your bank details.

“And it’s a route into scamming you.”

Martin warned viewers against responding to these kind of texts, except if they are “absolutely sure” they have ordered a parcel.

Money saving expert Martin Lewis had an important message on This Morning on Thursday (Image: ITV)

“Certainly, unless you are absolutely sure you have ordered a parcel and it’s coming from that company, you do not touch those texts that ask you to pay,” the Money Saving Expert said.

Martin added: “And they deliberately do a small amount of money so that people think it isn’t much to catch them and bring them in.

“I am 99.9 percent that is a scam.”

Advice from Royal Mail:

How to spot a fake email

Check at the top. Fraudsters often use subjects or greetings that are impersonal and general, like “Attention Royal Mail Customer”.

They may use a forged email address in the “from” field like "delivery@royalmail.com”.

They may even use the Royal Mail logo.

The sender, subject and content may change slightly but often they:

• state there’s a parcel waiting to be collected
• ask for payment before an item can be released for delivery
• prompts you to open a link or document
• asks you to send a text message or call a phone premium rate phone number

Protect your information

Never send sensitive, personal information, security details or credit card numbers by email

Never click on a link in an email if you are unsure about it, especially if it asks for personal financial information, this might attempt to install malware on to your computer

Make sure you have a spam filter on your email account

Reporting potential scams

If you receive a suspicious email or discover a Royal Mail branded website which you think is fraudulent, let them know by completing an online form.

If you have been the victim of a payment scam, you can get a crime reference number by reporting it to your local police station.

• Have you had one of the texts? Let us know in the comments.