Scams Awareness Month: protect yourself from postal scams

Don’t become a victim of these common cons coming through your door.

An important campaign, Scams Awareness Month, is taking place throughout July.

It’s an annual drive from Citizens Advice and Trading Standards to improve our ability to spot and combat scams.

So far the spotlight has fallen on telephone and online cons, but this week postal scams are taking centre stage.

Here’s a closer look at some common scams that come through the mail and how to guard against them.

Fake lottery and prize draw wins

A common postal scam involves letters claiming that you have won a huge sum of money as part of a lottery on the other side of the world or a guaranteed prize as part of a prize draw you never entered.

Normally the letter will instruct victims to keep their win a secret and contact an agent quickly to avoid missing out. But in order to redeem a prize or winnings, you are told you need to hand over fees, bank details and in some cases official documents like a passport.

Of course there is no money or prize. Scammers take what you pay and can use any information obtained to steal your identity or empty your bank account. Plus making contact may get you put on a ‘suckers’ list for other criminals to exploit.

Remember if you haven’t entered a lottery or prize draw then you can’t have won it and if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

Dud investment scams

Another rife scam letter offers you the chance to invest in things like shares, fine wine, gemstones, art or other ‘rare’ high value goods.

They claim that taking advantage will mean guaranteed returns and that they’ll need to act quickly or miss out on the opportunity.

But in reality what’s offered is over-priced, worthless, difficult to sell on, or just doesn’t exist.

You should be cautious of investments that sound too good to be true, as chances are they’re just that, particularly if the company or person is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The FCA website has a list of unauthorised companies and individuals to watch out for.

Phoney psychics

These letters are often personalised and involve a ‘psychic’ or ‘clairvoyant’ claiming they’ve seen something either wonderful or terrible in your future.

In some cases victims are told that if they pay a fee or buy a ‘lucky’ product then it will prevent something bad happening, lift curses or bless them with good fortune.

Of course this is utter rubbish and should be ignored. Making contact or sending any money will keep these people coming back for more and may get you put on a ‘suckers’ list which will encourage other criminals to prey on you.

419 scams

These letters claim to come from an official appealing for help to transfer money out of another country, commonly Iraq, South Africa or somewhere in West Africa. In return it promises a share of whatever you help move.

They’ll urge secrecy and for you to act quickly and may ask for bank details to make the deposit.

But if you reply you’ll be told various fees need to be paid before the money can be released and if you’ve shared your account details the fraudster will attempt to empty your bank.

Betting scams

Other scams use professional-looking brochures, leaflets and letters which claim to have inside information on things like horse racing and other sports events.

These encourage you to pay a subscription fee to get the inside track or to use your own money to place a bet on behalf of the expert (as they don’t want to arouse suspicion) as well as your own, which acts as a fee.

They promise you’ll make a fortune, but in reality the tipster is fake, the tips don’t exist or never win, and any money back guarantees aren't honoured – leaving you the loser.

Mail theft

Some fraudsters skip trying to scam victims into sharing their details or handing over money and instead try to steal the information.

Stolen mail from communal postal areas in apartment blocks or flats is a growing problem according to fraud prevention group Financial Fraud Action UK.

Once criminals have the post there are a number of options open to them. Some just take any bank or credit cards contained in the letters while others can use the personal information in the mail to steal your identity and take out credit in your name. In some cases criminals use the information to call victims and pretend to be from their bank or the police in order to trick them into handing over money.

If you get mail delivered to a communal space, make sure it is secure and if possible get sensitive information from your bank sent electronically. Also don’t leave mail to pile up and organise for someone you know to collect it on your behalf if you go away on holiday.

Mail blunders

Another problem is mail falling into the wrong hands when you move home.

A Royal Mail Survey found 26% of its redirection customers have received up to five items of mail from a former occupant during the first month in their new home and 15% found over 20 items of mail sitting on their doorstep addressed to them.

It found mail from pension providers (14%), DVLA (13%), mobile phone providers (11%), credit card companies (8%), banks and TV Licensing (both 7%) was the most likely to still be sent to the old address.

Using the Royal Mail’s Redirection Service is the best way to ensure that all personal details are taken with you when move home.

Protecting yourself

Postal scams are varied and can be very convincing so it’s important to keep alert and guard against them.

You should ignore letters with offers that sound too good to be true, as they probably are.

Watch out for bad grammar and spelling mistakes on communications you get through the post and be wary of letters that tell you to keep things a secret or instruct you to act quickly.

Never provide bank details to people you don’t know and don’t share personal details or official documents.

And try to keep your mail out of the wrong hands by having a locked mailbox in communal areas and using the Royal Mail Redirection Service for at least a year when you move home.

If you think you or your family is receiving scam mail, keep samples and report it to Royal Mail using the address: Freepost Scam Mail, over the phone on 03456 113 413 or email scam.mail@royalmail.com.

Alternatively you can contact Citizens Advice by calling 03454 04 05 06, writing to Post Point 24, Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston super Mare, North Somerset, BS23 1UJ or completing this online form.

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More on scams:

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Scams Awareness Month: protect yourself from online scams

Scams Awareness Month: protect yourself from telephone scams