What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone calls you and says there’s a package waiting to be delivered to your address? Perhaps you feel excited, happy, or surprised—depending on whether you ordered something online or not. Typically, courier deliveries are for items you ordered online. But what if one day you receive a call from someone stating that a package sent using your ID contains illegal items? Beware, this is a popular scam that is on the rise these days.
And, this is precisely the modus operandi of the courier delivery scam. The most recent individual to fall victim to it is Dr. Anand, resident of Ramalinga Nagar, Tamil Nadu, according to The Times of India. The doctor allegedly lost a whopping Rs 52 lakh after being duped by a caller posing as a FedEx agent. The imposter informed Anand that a prohibited item had been dispatched from Taiwan, using his Aadhar card as proof of identity, and that the police have initiated legal proceedings against him.
The following day, the doctor received another call, this time from an individual pretending to be a CBI officer. The impersonator informed Anand, the victim, that he was implicated in money laundering and insisted that he promptly transfer all his funds to the CBI’s account in Mumbai.
Later, believing what the scammers told him, the man ended up transferring Rs 52,100,364 via RTGS. Next, when the doctor called the fake CBI officer and FedEx agents, he realised what had transpired.
That said, this isn’t the first occurrence of such a scam. In fact, fraudsters exploiting the courier delivery scam are targeting new victims with increasing frequency these days. Just last year, we detailed how Keka De, a resident of Bengaluru, successfully thwarted similar scammers who falsely accused her of dispatching “illegal” items—comprising 5 passports, 3 credit cards, 1 laptop, and even 150 gm of MDMA drugs—to an address in Taipei, Taiwan.
Therefore, if you encounter such scammers preying on fear, it is crucial to promptly block them and report the incident to the authorities. Additionally, refrain from revealing personal identification, such as Aadhar, and avoid sharing OTPs or providing address details, as these pieces of information can contribute to the scammers’ elaborate web of deception.
Update: FedEx has issued an official statement to News18 that says, “FedEx does not request personal information through unsolicited phone calls, mail, or email for goods being shipped or held, unless requested or initiated by customers. If any individual receives any suspicious phone calls or messages, they are advised not to provide their personal information. Instead, they should immediately contact the local law enforcement authorities within the vicinity or report to the cybercrime department of the government of India.”
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