THE alarm has been raised over a "convincing" new scam text.

The SMS phishing, or 'smishing', text claims to be from DPD.

Consumer experts Which? have issued a warning over the scam because of how convincing it is.

The text informs the recipient that a delivery attempt was made to their property and asks them to follow a link to arrange redelivery.

The link takes them to a DPD copycat website asking for personal details and a small fee for redelivery.

Dorset Echo: Credit: Which?Credit: Which?

Which? said: "It was so convincing that the only giveaways were the layouts of the dates and the fact we were blocked from taking screenshots of the copycat website."

Dorset Echo: Credit: Which?Credit: Which?

They continued: "The date format on the copycat website was the main giveaway. The apparent ‘parcel’ was in the depot on ‘-1 August’ and ‘0 August’.

"The order of the delivery descriptions also didn’t make sense. We also noticed something was wrong when we couldn’t take a screenshot on the device we were using.

Dorset Echo: Credit: Which?Credit: Which?

"Some security measures on the copycat website were blocking us from doing so.

"If you’ve received a suspicious text, don’t follow any links. We followed the link only to learn about the scam and to report it.

"We have reported this scam message and the website."

Text messages are frequently used by scammers because sending them doesn’t rely on an internet connection, like a WhatsApp message does, and they don’t have to pass a spam filter like an email.

Texts are also less likely to be missed, and many legitimate organisations use text message to contact customers.

These are Which?'s top tips to protect yourself from scam texts:

  • Don’t follow any links - The most effective way to avoid text scams is to ignore links. Clicking on links could lead you to download malware and malicious software.
  • Don’t share personal information - Treat all messages requesting sensitive information with suspicion. Legitimate organisations will never text you to ask for your personal or banking details.
  • Contact the organisation directly - If you’re unsure, contact the company that claims to have sent it. Use the official contact details listed on their website.
  • Don’t reply - Replying to a fake text, calling the number or clicking suspicious links only lets scammers know your number is being used.
  • Report it - You can report fake texts by forwarding the message to 7726, which is a free reporting service provided by phone operators. This information is then shared with police and intelligence agencies.