The Evri text scam will typically ask you to pay in order to rebook a delivery – but it steals your money and your personal information. It’s essential you can spot the signs.
It’s likely you’ve received at least one text message claiming to be from a delivery company, such as Evri (formerly Hermes), telling you that its driver has missed your delivery.
But how can you tell if the message is genuine? Here’s how to spot a scam.
Often your instinct will tell you something isn’t quite right:
Is there an #evri scam around? Been told someone missed me, and to arrange a redelivery I need to pay for it, submit card details etc... That doesn't sound right, huh.
— Mike Diver (@MikeDiver) November 2, 2022
Here, we explain what to look for.
Free Look After My Bills money-saving email
What do Evri text scams look like?
These texts arrive from random numbers, telling you that you have a fee to pay to book a delivery. The charges are often relatively small – they’re designed to appear plausible and not arouse suspicion.
@actionfrauduk another #EVRI #Scam message #ScamAlert pic.twitter.com/G1E3BfTuvd
— Tilly's Mum (@lawes7878) November 1, 2022
The messages then include a link where you can ‘pay the surcharge’ and ‘book a redelivery’. But these texts are fake.
Scammers are attempting to send you to a fake website, usually a convincing clone of the official Evri site. Here they can capture your card details and other sensitive personal information when you ‘pay’ the fake fee.
The texts can use different wording, often regarding missed delivery attempts and outstanding fees.
But no matter how the fraudsters word the messages, they’ll almost always include a URL that when you look closely has nothing to do with Evri:
As with most scam tactics, the messages are attempting to panic you into taking action and tap the link quickly. These rely on recipients following links before assessing if the communication is genuine. And it can be doubly convincing if you’re actually expecting a delivery.
Your browser or security software may block access to suspicious sites. In this case, Google’s Chrome web browser was able to detect that the site was a scam attempt:
But this warning may not always appear, particularly when accessing the URL from a mobile device.
So don’t ever be rushed or pressured to secure the delivery of a package. Take a bit of time to make all the checks you need to ensure that Evri actually has something for you.
Who’s being targeted by fake delivery texts?
Much like the Amazon Prime cold call scam, these texts are indiscriminate and simply attempt to reach as many people as possible. This is regardless of whether you’re actually awaiting a delivery or not.
The scammers know that those awaiting a delivery could believe that the text is genuine. And those who aren’t could be intrigued or concerned enough to proceed anyway.
How do I know if an Evri text is genuine?
Because Evri does genuinely contact its customers via text message, including at times when a parcel is in its delivery process, it’s often easy to be taken in by these scams.
However, as explained by Evri on its website, there are two key rules that you can use to identify the fakes:
- Evri will NOT show the sender name as a mobile phone number
- Evri will NEVER ask you for a payment in its text messages
Evri also says it will never include a URL except for tracking links called https://evri.link/… But, it adds a disclaimer that it cannot guarantee that those are always genuine – this is likely because scammers are able to spoof URLs, or create extremely similar ones.
What should I do if I’ve fallen victim to a fake Evri text?
Do you think you may have given sensitive information, such as card details, to scammers via a text that led to a fake website? Then let your bank know what’s happened immediately by calling its official fraud line.
Alternatively, as most big banks subscribe to the Stop Scams UK scheme, you can call the 159 hotline.
Your bank should work with you to secure your account and get your money back.
How can I report fake Evri text messages?
There’s lots of ways to report SMS scams.
- SMS scams, known as ‘smishing’, can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) by forwarding them to 7726, which spells SPAM on the keyboard.
- If you’re unable to forward the message, take a screenshot and email it to [email protected]. Fake sites can then be investigated and removed before any others can fall victim.
- Report it to Action Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040. If you’re in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000.
The NCSC has also issued official guidance for dealing with fake ‘missed parcel’ messages. You can also report these scams to Action Fraud.
Other delivery firm scams
Sadly you do have to be on the lookout for plausible-sounding text messages from other delivery companies such as DPD, DHL or Royal Mail.
Scammers often use news events to make their messages sound believable. For example, scammers can use possible Royal Mail strike action to create fake texts about so-called delivery delays. These aim to get you to register your details for some fake guaranteed delivery.
