Three UK warns customers about this summer’s ‘missed parcel’ SMS scams


Three UK is urging its customers to stay vigilant this summer against a growing trend of fraudsters sending SMS messages pretending to be from delivery companies.

As households take advantage of online deals, from holiday clothes shopping to summer sales, Three’s operator detection systems have identified an uptick in criminals exploiting increased activity to deceive and defraud unsuspecting consumers.

Since January 2024, Three UK has blocked over 20 million fraudulent messages, the equivalent to 111,111 a day.  However, according to research from Citizens Advice, almost half (49%) of people targeted by scammers are a victim of malicious parcel delivery scams, with 84% of 18-24 years being targeted, usually through text or mobile messaging.

The ‘missed parcel’ scam involves criminals sending a text or email informing an individual that a courier is attempting to deliver a parcel, but they need to pay a fee or rearrange collection. The message will contain a link to a website or request to download an app – this will be ‘spoofed’ to look like it belongs to a legitimate delivery company. Common features that appear in scams include:

  • Saying they have failed to deliver a parcel and are trying to arrange redelivery so require your personal details
  • Claiming that a small fee has to be paid to release the parcel, which aims to scare consumers by stating the package will be sent back or to a depot if they don’t pay
  • Including a fake tracking link that could install malware

Mark Fitzgerald, Director of Finance & Fraud said: “The ‘missed parcel’ scam has been around for a while, but online shoppers are more vulnerable at this time of year with summer deals and holiday shopping. Our fraud prevention team is working hard to block fraudulent messages and advise our customers on the latest watchouts so they can rest stay alert.

“If you’re expecting a delivery and you receive a ‘missed parcel’ message, do not click on any text links you receive. Use official apps or websites to track your parcel. Any texts that look suspicious, forward the message to 7726, the free spam-reporting service.”

On average, 162 parcels are delivered every second in the UK, with 75 parcels being delivered per person per year. With consumers so used to receiving this kind of correspondence from delivery companies, they need to stay alert to ensure they don’t fall victim to this fraud tactic.

How can you spot a delivery scam text?

Delivery scam texts often contain information about failed delivery attempts and include fake tracking links. Key red flags to look out for are:

  • Random phone numbers
  • Poorly written English
  • Texts that rush you to act
  • A lack of real information about your parcel
  • A web link that contains additional text

If customers are expecting a delivery and receive a ‘missed parcel’ message:

  • Do not click the link and never give out personal bank details
  • Use the official websites of delivery companies to track your parcel
  • Forward the message to 7726, a free spam-reporting service provided by phone operators
  • Delete the message
  • For more information on how to stay safe from parcel delivery fraud and other online scams, visit Three’s website at three.co.uk/privacy-safety/report-a-problem

If customers are expecting a parcel, they can track its status by using the official website of the delivery companies:

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