Royal Mail Email Scam

by | Jul 16, 2020 | Cyber Security

Does this look legit to you? Would you follow the link provided?

The scam, also known as CEO Fraud or Executive Impersonation Fraud, as well as the Big Boss Scam. For IT companies it is becoming a common sight among clients, which Hero IT Support can attest to.

As a business owner, or shareholder, information about you is publicly available. From annual returns, online on platforms, and information you give to Companies House such as the Confirmation Statement (CS01 form) which you have to submit annually. Using this publicly available information fraudsters get the names of business owners or people in senior positions.

Did you know 23% of people that receive phishing mails will open them.

There are many ‘phishing’ emails sent to the general public every day, enticing you to give away personal details which can be incredibly detrimental.

This email sent by ‘Royal Mail’ above is one of those, and we want to help you spot these in your inbox, and move them over to junk folder straight away.

Here are the key details you need to look out for when trying to figure out if you should, follow the link provided or put in those all-important card details.

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The email address

As you can see, this specific email has been sent from ‘mail@akotrading.com’, and straight away this is a tell-tale sign this should be moved into your junk folder. Who are ako trading? If you are unsure whether or not they work within Royal Mail, the best way to find this out is to contact Royal Mail, or even check their direct website to see if they have an email contact for ako trading.

‘Dear Client’

This shows the email is very impersonal, like it could have been sent to anyone. If the Royal Mail had your details on file, ‘client’ wouldn’t be suitable. This is another easy way to see whether or not you are being ‘scammed’.

The Language

In the email above, the language used is poor. The lack of consistency in describing the item left, ‘pack’, ‘packet’, ‘parcel’ is a sign that such item does not exist.

The Link

The link, this is where everything can be turned upside down. By following the link on this specific email, I would not have been redirected to the Royal Mail website to ’verify the address’ of where to deliver my parcel, but a much more harmful site, looking to infiltrate my personal details. A way to check this would be to hover over the link, wait for the pop up box to show you where you’re about to be transferred to. If it doesn’t seem right, then it’s not.

There could be more signs to look out for, but these are the easiest and quickest to ways to see if the email you have received should be moved into your junk folder. If you are still unsure, contact the company directly or consult with a company providing IT support.