An email doing the rounds warning people about a scam involving a company called Parcel Delivery Service is in fact a hoax.
It warns that you will be left £315 out of pocket just by calling the premium rate number on a missed delivery note, but people are being warned the whole thing is nonsense and has been circulating for years.
The hoax email reads:
"Can you circulate this around especially as Xmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail. The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:
A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number).
DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize. If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call.
If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.
But anti-fraud organisation Action Fraud has told people to simply delete the email if in lands in their inbox.
An Action Fraud statement added: "PhonepayPlus is aware that a chain email about an alleged postal scam is being circulated on the internet. The email refers to the Royal Mail, Trading Standards and ICSTIS (PhonepayPlus' former name).
"PhonepayPlus appreciates that recipients of the email may want to find out more information about the alleged scam and has therefore issued the following statement:
The chain email refers to a service (operating on 0906 6611911) that was shut down by PhonepayPlus (then ICSTIS) in December 2005.
PhonepayPlus subsequently fined the company that was operating the service, Studio Telecom (based in Belize), £10,000.
The service is NO LONGER running and has NOT been running since December 2005.
You do NOT need to contact PhonepayPlus, or the Royal Mail, about this service as it was stopped almost eight years ago.
If you receive a copy of the email warning you about the alleged scam, please do NOT forward it to others. Instead, please forward this statement from PhonepayPlus.
If you receive a delivery card through your letterbox which you do not believe is genuine and which asks you to dial a premium rate number, you can contact PhonepayPlus on 0800 500 212 (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm) for further guidance."
