Fake parcel delivery scams occur both online and offline. In these scams, scammers try to convince you to pay for the delivery of a parcel that you never ordered. They also often try to force you to open an unknown link or file. Due to this scammers can gain access to bank account information and defraud you of lakhs of rupees.

Several such incidents have come to light in recent times, including:

According to a Mint report published on May 20, 2023, a scammer posing as an officer of the Maharashtra Narcotics Department defrauded a Delhi doctor of Rs 4.47 crore. The scammer told the 34-year-old woman that a large quantity of the drug MDMA (Methyl Endioxy Methamphetamine) belonging to her was detected in a FedEx courier. Scammers force people to temporarily hand over the entire amount in their accounts. Meanwhile, the female doctor was deceived and her account was emptied.

According to a report of India Today dated June 28, 2023, a student from Bengaluru lost Rs 1,34,650 after falling prey to a courier scam. She reportedly received a call from a person posing as a FedEx employee. The caller had asked him to join the Skype call for identity verification. Meanwhile, after stealing the student's data, the scammers emptied the money from the bank account.

A woman named Shefali Chaudhary became a victim of a parcel scam, she was asked to pay Rs 5 for handling fees, but instead of Rs 5, she lost Rs 80,000 because Rs 40,000 was deducted twice from her bank account through a fake payment link.

To protect your money and data, it is important to identify these scams. Here are how to spot seven new fake parcel delivery scams:

Suspicious Parcel Delivery Notification

If you receive a notification of an unknown parcel delivery, there are a few things to consider before ignoring it. Do you see any mistakes in the message? Is this a message for service from a known company? If you are unsure, you can directly contact the company's customer service centre and get information about the parcel. Do not share any unknown message or OTP-related information with anyone about which you are unaware.

Suspicious link or file

If you receive a link or file with information related to the delivery of a parcel, do not open it. These links or files may be infected with viruses or malware. Malware is software that is designed to cause damage to the system. It can harm a person's or organization's computer system or network. If you are curious to open a link or file, you can scan it with an antivirus scanner.

Unexpected refund

If you receive an unexpected refund, it could be a sign of a fake parcel delivery scam. Scammers often try to get you to refund payment for the return of a parcel. For this, they want to get information related to your account from you. If you are unaware of this, then in such a situation immediately contact customer care with the help of the helpline number of the delivery company.

Fake customer service call

If you receive a fake customer service call asking you to make payment for a parcel, beware of such calls. Scammers often use customer service calls to try to convince you to pay for a parcel. They want to get your account or personal information related to it by talking here and there.

Fake social media posts

If you see posts on social media asking you to get a parcel delivered for a small fee or for free, be wary. Scammers often use social media to lure people into fake parcel delivery scams.

Fake email

If you receive a fake email from a famous and big company. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay for a parcel. Scammers often use emails impersonating professionals to lure people into fake parcel delivery scams. Scammers take your personal information by giving you huge discounts and attractive offers in their emails.

Such frauds occurring every day include WhatsApp scams, fake caller scams, AI video scams and parcel delivery scams. To protect your money and data, it is important to be aware of these fake parcel delivery scams and share them with your relatives. If you become a victim of any of these scams, contact your bank and Credit Card Company immediately.

How to report a cyber scam?

Gather any relevant documents, such as screenshots of emails, SMS messages or call records, to report against the cyber scam. Report to Cyber ​​Crime Complaint Helpline. To register a complaint, one can complain about cybercrime by calling the helpline number 1930. After filing the report, you can also check the status of your report. Apart from this, you can also file a complaint on the government website cybercrime.gov.in.

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