How to spot “spray and pray” delivery scams this Christmas

The holiday season is here, and that means lots of shopping and deliveries. If you’re eagerly waiting for Christmas and Black Friday purchases, it’s normal to expect texts about your deliveries.

But scammers know this too. They take advantage of the busy season when people might not think twice before clicking a link.

One scam that’s making the rounds right now is called the “spray and pray” smishing scam.

What is the spray and pray scam?

The concept of the spray and pray scam is simple. Scammers send thousands of fake text messages to as many people as possible, hoping (praying) that some will fall for it. It’s a numbers game - scammers aren’t picky and don’t need everyone to fall for the scam for it to pay off.

How does the spray and pray scam work?

Here’s a breakdown:

• You get a text that looks like it’s from a delivery company, like Royal Mail or Evri
• The message says your parcel couldn’t be delivered and asks you to click a link to pay a small redelivery fee
• The link takes you to a fake website that looks almost identical to the real courier site
• If you enter your payment details, the scammers now have your bank information

The goal is to steal your money and personal details and it can be very convincing. Evri reported 10,000 cases of delivery fraud between November 2024 and January 2025.

How to stay safe

With so many parcels on the way, it’s easy to let your guard down. Here are some simple steps to protect yourself:

• Pause before you click - scammers create urgency to make you act fast, always take a moment to think
• Check the sender - only trust messages from the courier you’re expecting and double check the contact details
• Look for details - real messages usually include your name or order info; vague texts from random numbers are a red flag
• Act quickly if you shared details - contact your bank right away if you entered payment info or see charges you don’t recognise; if you’re a thinkmoney customer, you can call us on 0161 779 5000 or chat with us in app.
• Report it - forward scam texts to 7726 (it’s free); this helps phone networks block similar messages.

If something feels off, don’t click the link. Go directly to the courier’s official website or app to check your delivery.

Here at thinkmoney, we have a Fraud and Scams hub which we update frequently with the latest scams. It's worth taking a look at if you want to learn more about spotting and avoiding scams.