A new study by consumer group Which? has found that three in five people have received fake delivery scam texts over the last year.
A significant rise in sophisticated scamming and phishing activity has been seen throughout the pandemic, with fresh warnings issued to the public on a regular basis.
Messaging scams have boomed as the pandemic confined millions of us to our homes and we became increasingly reliant on deliveries, with fraudsters posing as couriers and delivery companies in an attempt to trick people into handing over bank details via text.
A Which? survey of over 2,000 people in May revealed that three in five people (61%) had received a fake delivery text in the past year.
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Of those who received the scam text messages claiming to be from a delivery company, four in five (79%) said they realised it was fake straight away but 3% said they lost money to the scam.
Seven in ten (70%) Brits said they received a Royal Mail scam text in the last three months / Credit: Royal Mail
The scam most often reported to Which? in the past three months has been fake text messages – also known as ‘smishing’ (SMS phishing) – pretending to be from the Royal Mail. 70% of one surveyed group received the Royal Mail scam text.
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The message usually requests a small payment for a parcel to be delivered and a link to a copycat Royal Mail website, with victims then called by scammers to try to trick them into sending large sums of money.
DHL, DPD and Hermes were the other most-commonly impersonated companies in the survey, with roughly one in three (32%) reporting scam texts.
One in eight scam texts (12%) impersonated UPS over text.
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To test the reach of the scams, Which? created four new mobile phone accounts – one with each of the UK’s biggest phone networks – and within two weeks, two of the numbers had received scam text messages, despite never having been used before.
What have we learnt about scams over the past year?
👤 Anyone be a victim 🔄 Scammers change their tactics frequently 💷 Investment scams are on the rise 📲 Reporting scams is vital
Speaking on the research findings, Adam French – Consumer Rights Expert at Which? – said: “Our research shows how fraudsters have bombarded Britain with scam delivery texts on an industrial scale as they try to exploit the unprecedented conditions of the pandemic.
“Couriers and the telecoms industry must take further steps to protect consumers, by making it harder for fraudsters to exploit systemic weaknesses to reach potential victims, and by making people more aware of how to spot such scams.”
He also added that consumers can sign up to Which?’s scam alert service to keep themselves informed about the latest tactics used by fraudsters.
Featured Image – Pixnio
UK News
A literacy charity is making its way to Manchester bringing lots of FREE books
Thomas Melia
A charity dedicated to literacy is coming to Manchester in May providing families and individuals with plenty of free books.
Led by Bookbanks, this London-founded organisation was set up in line with food banks to provide people with access to free books and now they’re coming all the way to Manchester.
This charity started in 2022 all thanks to writer and journalist Emily Rhodes, who has read her fair share of books and wants to give this privilege to anyone who might not be able to get their hands on any.
The charity has seen widespread positive reception quickly expanding into Norfolk and is now partnering with various food banks in Manchester, marking the organisation’s first Northern venture.
Bookbanks gives out an average of 30 books per week, per site and has distributed over 5,000 books so far at food banks.
Crates being organised in Manchester food bank.Credit: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
Titled Bookbanks after the fact that they work very closely with food banks to provide books far and wide to food banks across the UK, they also host a range of interactive events.
Alongside all the fantastic work the team do, there’s a handful of free workshops and author events on offer for all ages and backgrounds, to further build the connection between people and their books.
Currently, there are two famous figures backing this book-based charity, Elizabeth Day and Andrew O’Hagan, both of which are no stranger to a pen and paper.
Day is an award-winning author who has written nine fiction and non-fiction books to date, while O’Hagan is Booker Prize nominated and is London Review of Books’ Editor-at-Large.
Bookbanks relies on the general public to spread their message further and there’s even a section on their website detailing how you can get involved to continue distributing books within food banks.
One of Bookbank’s many free author events, some of which will hopefully take place in Manchester.Credit: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
Whether you’re an avid runner or keen to try something new why not raise money for and be sponsored by Bookbanks, knowing you’ve done your bit to bring books to those who need them most.
If you don’t fancy lacing up those trainers and heading out for a run, why not donate any old books you’ve finished reading to this book-focused charity and allow others to discover a whole new world of reading.
Bookbanks first official Manchester site will launch on Friday 2 May at Manchester Central Food bank and a second site is already in talks at Greater Together Manchester’s Social Supermarket in Miles Platting.
To find out more ways to get involved as a company, publisher, member of public and more, you can find all information on their official site HERE.
Featured Image: Publicity Picture via Annabelle Williams
UK News
The ‘headphone dodger’ proposal that could see people who play loud music on public transport fined
Danny Jones
A group of politicians are calling for people who play music and videos out loud on public transport to be fined, and not just a small fee, either. How about a grand?…
Yes, a new idea floated by members of the Liberal Democrats would see so-called ‘headphone dodgers’ hit with a penalty of a whopping penalty of up to £1,000.
Obviously, the idea would need government backing in order to make it through as an official bill, but it seems several Labour and Conservative MPs agree, and the suggestion alone already has caused plenty of online discussion.
Should 'headphone dodgers' who play loud music and videos on public transport face a fine of £1,000?
Sparking quite the water-cooler conversation too, the proposal is something that clearly taps into a fairly common nuisance among the general public and one that has increased in the era of smartphones, tablets and so on.
While it’s definitely something people can relate to, and the highly reactionary idea of charging them such a large sum of money, many on social media have noted that while the concept is one they can get behind, the figure seems excessive to most.
The no-headphone fine would apply to those playing music and video out loud on buses, trains and trams at what would generally be considered an obnoxious volume; if given the green light, this rule would be included in the railway byelaws and the current ‘Bus Services Bill‘ amended.
It has been suggested that a potential national campaign deterring this kind of behaviour would follow, with the party arguing plainly that commuters deserve to “enjoy a moment of peace.”
A similar policy has emerged regarding drivers as well.
This push from the Lib Dems comes after they commissioned a poll which found that “more than half of Brits said they would not feel empowered to ask somebody to turn down their music” while on board public transport, with over a third confessing they’ve come across the issue before.
Lisa Smart, the party’s home affairs spokesman, said: “Far too many people dread their daily commute because of the blight of antisocial behaviour — and headphone dodgers playing loud music on buses and trains are some of the worst offenders.”
She went on to add, “It’s time to take a stand for the quiet majority who just want to get from A to B in peace.” It is believed that both politicians in power and members of the opposition have already expressed support for the idea, even if specifics like the severity of the fine are up for debate.
Emily Sergeant -
29th June 2021 
