Stay Alert: DPD Phishing Scam

5,478 reports of DPD phishing emails were made in November 2020, an increase of 655% when compared to the previous month.

Action Fraud has also received 166 reports of suspicious DPD text messages between June and November this year, with a total reported losses of £139,000. Reporting volumes and losses are continuing to increase in the run up to Christmas, with a further 35 reports with a reported loss of £103,000 recorded in the first 8 days of December 2020.

Fraudsters are using fake DPD messages to lure victims into a phishing scam. The messages state that the recipient has missed two attempted deliveries of a parcel, and provides instructions on how to arrange another delivery. The links in the messages lead to fraudulent websites that request a payment (£2 – £3) to rearrange the delivery.

If the victim makes this payment, they’ll receive a phone call within a few days from someone purporting to be from their bank to inform them about suspicious transactions on their account. They may also receive text messages, purporting to be from their bank, confirming these transactions. The victim is informed that their bank account may be compromised and is instructed to transfer their money to what they believe is an alternative secure account in order to prevent further losses.

In other cases, suspects have gained enough personal details and security information during the phone call with the unsuspecting victim, to enable them to take out a loan in the victim’s name. The fraudsters then transfer the loan to an account under their control. Fraudsters are able to use a tactic called ‘spoofing’ to make the call or text appear genuine by cloning the phone number, or sender ID, used by the bank.