MARTIN Lewis has warned mobile phone users not to be caught out by a new Royal Mail text scam.

The money-saving expert appeared on ITV's This Morning to warn everyone against a fake Royal Mail text about a small charge for a parcel due to be delivered.

Presenter Eamonn Holmes explained how he received the message that said a parcel due to be delivered to him was being held until he paid a £1.99 shipping fee he apparently owed.

He told Martin Lewis: "I got a text this morning from the Royal Mail.

"It says your package will be held and not be delivered due to a £1.99 unpaid shipping fee.

"To pay this now, visit depositdeliveryfee.com.”

Ruth asked: “Do you click it?”

Eamonn responded: “No idea. Who do you phone? Who do you get in touch with?”

However, The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com responded and said: “That’s a scam. That is a very well-known scam. It's not just Royal Mail, it's DPD and other delivery companies.

"When they get you to pay the charge, you are effectively giving them your bank details and it’s a route into scamming you.

"Unless you are sure you have ordered a parcel and it is coming from that company you do not touch those texts if you are asked to pay.

“They deliberately do a small amount of money so people think it isn’t much, but that’s how they catch them and bring them in.”

"If you get a message from a legitimate company and you want them to stop contacting you, you can send STOP and that's the right thing to do.

"But if you get a message from an illegitimate company, texting back STOP tells them that you are a real phone number and now they know that there's a person there - so just delete it."

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) previously said it had 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.

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.