Warning on new Royal Mail scam

LOCKDOWN IS WORKING BUT CONCERN GROWS FOR WELLBEING ACROSS REGION

PEOPLE are being warned to watch out for a new text message scam in which criminals pose as Royal Mail in an attempt to steal personal and financial details.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said it has received evidence of the scam, which uses a text message to claim a parcel is awaiting delivery but a ‘settlement’ must first be paid.

The message also includes a link which leads to a fraudulent website posing as a Royal Mail page and asks for personal and payment details, which could then be used by scammers for further fraud.

It follows a similar scam taking place over email which was flagged by Royal Mail last month.

Concerns have been raised about an increase in online scams since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic as millions of people began spending more time online and there was a surge in online shopping.

The CTSI warned that the rise in online shopping means more people are likely to be waiting for parcels and deliveries, making them more vulnerable to this kind of scam.

People are encouraged to report scams to Action Fraud, or the National Cyber Security Centre.

COVID rates in Greater Manchester are at their lowest since September - proof that lockdown is finally working.

This week’s Greater Manchester virus press conference, led by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, was a mix of welcome news around Covid-19, but also some sobering reports on its impact on the population’s wellbeing, particularly for young women.

Nearly a million vaccinations have been delivered, with efforts ongoing to boost take-up in those communities expressing reluctance.

Although this milestone signifies a ‘light of the end of the tunnel’ when it come to the pandemic, leaders have urged caution when it comes to sticking to the road map in a bid to ‘make this the last lockdown.’

The seven-day case rate for Greater Manchester was 88.2 per 100,000, down from 146.7 on the previous week.

Describing ‘fairly substantial decreases across all authorities,’ Mr Burnham said the case rate was still higher than the England average, which stands at 60.8, but he added: “We are beginning to see the full effects of the national lockdown coming through in the Greater Manchester figures.”

Only one borough, Rochdale, is now in the top 20 nationally.

The overall decline was reflected in the hospital admission figures. In the week of March 8, there were 94 Covid admissions, down from 215 the previous week. In-patient diagnoses were also down, from 235 to 160.

There were 93 patients in intensive care beds, down from 101 the previous week.

Although intensive care rates were described as ‘still reasonably high’ by Mr Burnham, he said the figures overall represented an ‘easing of pressure’ in the NHS.

Mr Burnham said there had also been an increase in testing - up from 5,490 for the week ending February 27 to 6,803 for the week ending March 6. This is thought to be down to students returning to school.

Meanwhile, a Greater Manchester survey has shown a ‘dip’ in young people’s sense of ‘hope and optimism’ for the future - reflecting the tough times of the last 12 months. Overall, 72 per cent of young people said they were ‘hopeful and optimistic,’ which was down by 10pc on December 2019. And it look as though girls are struggling more, with just 67pc feeling hopeful, as opposed to 81pc of boys.

Mr Burnham said this disatisfaction was also reflected in older women, adding: “Women are reporting a greater sense of loss of wellbeing over the last year.”

The survey was completed by one in five Year 10 pupils.