Scammers have grown their influence over the last year, with many upping the frequency of their attacks. Their tactics have worked so far, with many people caught in their elaborate expanded webs. Everyone else well versed with scam tactics won't be as at risk, but they will wonder why they have recently received a preponderance of scam texts.

       Scammers tend to target an expansive pool of potential victims with several well-documented methods.

       During the pandemic, they have adapted, using their lines to pull in people with lockdown-altered daily lives.

       For example, many unsolicited texts popping up on people's phones attempt to take their details via a fake missed delivery notice.

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       Consumer group Which? recently released research confirming incidence of these texts increased 60 percent during the pandemic.

       They surveyed more than 2,000 people across the UK in May this year.

       One of the reasons behind this increase, Which? found, was the delivery boom.

       Many texts claim to come from the Royal Mail, according to survey answerers, 70 percent of whom said they received fake correspondence from the postal service.

       Other texts mimic DHL, DPD, Hermes or UPS, all of which send packages locally and internationally.

       The watchdog found most people, 79 percent (or four in five) noticed they were a scam immediately.

       The remaining three percent - or one in 30 - had lost money to the trap.

       Adam French, a consumer rights expert with the organisation, said fraudsters have operated on an "industrial scale" over the last year.

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       He called on the telecoms industry and couriers to adopt measures to protect their consumers.

       Mr French added they should also make people "more aware of how to spot such scams".

       Speaking to Which?, the Royal Mail reminded customers they won't receive unsolicited texts.

       A spokesman said they would only send emails or SMS notifications "in cases where the sender has requested this when using our trackable products that offer this service."

       Customers requiring a "surcharge" for items would receive a physical "fee to pay" card.

       The spokesman added: “The only time we would ask customers to make a payment by email or by text is in some instances where a customs fee is due.

       "In such cases, we would also leave a grey card telling customers that there’s a fee to pay before we can release the item.”

       Scammers use a sophisticated system to generate number combinations and send texts using sim farms.

       Which? states these farms allow senders to use multiple sims at once, maximising their reach and frequency.