Tackling Scam Mail

Royal Mail and Trading Standards have joined forced to tackle scam mail in the postal system.

Under a new initiative, Trading Standards will determine whether a mailing is fraudulent and alert Royal Mail, before writing to the identified company requesting they stop posting items.

Companies will also receive a warning stating that their postal contract will be cancelled if the fraudlent activity continues.

Royal Mail's Group Security Director Tony Marsh said: 

"We very much understand the upset and anxiety that scam mail can cause, in particular to vulnerable people and their families. This new initiative with the National Trading Standards Scams Team will help us to better identify scam mail to stop it entering our postal network. 

"We do not want our postmen or women handling or delivering mail that causes harm. Royal Mail will work closely with the National Trading Standards Scams Team to identify and stop scam mail wherever we can."
 
Lord Toby Harris, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: 

"This is an important step that will help disrupt scam mail operations and reduce people's exposure to this fraudulent practice. Our partnership with Royal Mail will help those people – often the elderly or vulnerable – from being targeted in their homes. It also sends a clear message to those behind these scams that tackling this issue is a priority for National Trading Standards, Royal Mail and our partners."
 
Councillor Stephen Hagan, Chair of the Consumer Protection Task Group, said: 

"This is an excellent example of partnership working between Trading Standards and business to protect vulnerable consumers. Scammers deliberately target the vulnerable – so we must ensure they get the protection they need."
 
Consumer Affairs Minister Jo Swinson said: 

"I welcome the collaboration between Royal Mail and Trading Standards which will help tackle the threat posed by postal scammers. Stopping fraudulent mail from entering the postal system will better protect the most vulnerable of people and mean they won’t become victims of targeted, and often cleverly worded traps, designed to part them from their savings."