Christmas shoppers warned over 'spray and pray' delivery scams

Delivery fraud warning

Delivery fraud around Christmas and Black Friday has risen sharply, prompting a joint warning from the Home Office and courier firm Evri. During last year’s Black Friday period, Evri recorded close to 10,000 reports of delivery-related fraud, underlining how widespread the problem has become.

What 'spray and pray' means

Evri’s security experts describe scammers’ approach as a “spray and pray” technique, where criminals send thousands of fake delivery messages to random people every day. Because millions of parcels are in transit during the festive season, a proportion of these messages inevitably reach people who are genuinely waiting for a delivery.

How the scam messages work

Fraudsters send texts or emails that appear to come from well-known delivery firms such as Evri.
Messages typically claim a parcel is undeliverable or needs urgent action, pushing the recipient to click a link.
The link leads to a fake website that imitates an official courier site and asks for personal details or a small payment.

Once victims share data or pay a supposed fee, criminals can steal card details, access personal information, or attempt identity fraud.

Official guidance and key quotes

The campaign follows the government’s Stop! Think Fraud guidance, which urges shoppers to pause before responding to any delivery notification or promotional offer. Fraud Minister Lord Hanson stressed that the excitement and rush of Christmas shopping make people more vulnerable, saying that an ordinary-looking message can in fact be a scam aimed at stealing money.

Lee Howard, Evri’s Head of Information Security and Information Risk, explained that criminals exploit the huge number of parcels delivered each day using the “spray and pray” method. He noted that scammers rely on higher parcel volumes and busier customers during the holidays to increase the chances that their messages will reach someone expecting a package.

Redelivery fees and company policy

A major red flag highlighted by Evri is any message demanding a “redelivery fee”. Evri states that it will try to deliver a parcel three times before returning it to the sender and will not ask customers to pay for redelivery.

The company also reports having helped shut down more than 32,000 scam websites and urges people to report suspicious delivery messages so that similar sites can be removed quickly. This reporting is presented as a key part of reducing fraud opportunities during the busy festive period.

Other festive shopping scams

Beyond delivery texts and emails, scammers are also targeting bargain hunters with misleading or fake online offers. Tactics can include advertising goods that do not exist, selling very poor-quality items, and using high-pressure, time-limited deals to rush people into paying before they can check properly.

Last Christmas, online shopping fraud is reported to have cost UK consumers about £11.8 million, according to figures from the City of London Police. Authorities warn that anyone can be affected, regardless of how experienced they are with online shopping.

How shoppers can protect themselves

Treat any unexpected delivery message with caution, especially if it demands urgent action.
Avoid clicking links in unsolicited texts or emails; instead, go directly to the courier’s official website or app.
Never pay a redelivery fee for an Evri parcel, since the firm does not charge for this.
If in doubt, contact the delivery company using verified contact details found on its official site.

Police, the Home Office and Evri all emphasize that careful checking of messages and websites is essential, particularly when people are busy with Christmas preparations.

“These criminals utilise what we refer to as the ‘spray and pray’ technique, exploiting the millions of parcels we deliver to homes daily.”

“Many of these messages attempt to impose a ‘redelivery fee’, which is absurd — our policy is to attempt delivery three times before returning an item, and we never charge a redelivery fee.”

Author’s summary

Holiday scammers exploit the Christmas rush with mass “spray and pray” delivery messages and fake offers, so shoppers must question unexpected texts, refuse redelivery fees and verify every link before they click.

The Mirror — 2025-11-27