Tips to be vigilant and protect from courier fraud

Recently, courier frauds have been on the rise. The need for heightened vigilance is more crucial than ever. A person’s technological dependence and trust are exploited to loot years of their hard-earned money. To stay secure from such frauds, one needs to understand the tactics that fraudsters deploy to deceive victims.

How do these frauds play out?
Unsuspecting users receive a call from a fake customs officer or courier representative regarding a seized parcel containing illegal items or violations of customs regulations.


They might also cite sections from the law and even ask people to have legal support to present their case.

To increase the sense of urgency, the fraudsters may connect the individual to a fake law enforcement official who then coaxes the user to make a payment to avoid any legal recourse or an arrest.

These imposters exploit the people’s fear of legal consequences and create an atmosphere of paranoia, anxiety and urgency so that users don’t have time to think and resort to immediate action. People are lured into transferring money, and these fraudsters disappear with their life’s money once the funds are transferred.

Signs to recognise a fraud

• If someone reaches out to you with an unexpected request for money in return for the delivery of a package, creating a sense of urgency. Brands like FedEx do not request any personal data or payments via unsolicited calls, emails, or texts in return for goods in transit or FedEx custody. If someone contacts you with this kind of communication, do not reply or entertain such a request.

• If someone asks you for private financial information, beware and do not fall into such a trap.

• Another giveaway sign of fraud is misspelt or slightly altered website addresses.

• When you see spelling or grammatical errors or excessive use of capitalisation or exclamation points, stay cautious and d resist sharing sensitive communication.

• Announcements informing that you have won a large sum of money are also a sign of fraud.

• Certificate errors or lack of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) on websites is another indicator of fraud.

Awareness initiatives and drives are a strong step against such frauds
Deceptions like courier fraud became prominent after the pandemic.

FedEx has been continuously building awareness with technologically aware and vulnerable sections of the audience who may be potentially targeted by such criminal activities.

While the brand continues to educate the public, FedEx also cooperates with law enforcement officials in their investigations. It also continues to reiterate that its representatives will never make unsolicited requests for personal information or payments through calls, emails or texts for goods in transit or in its custody.
How to keep yourself safe from such devious schemes
Preventive measures are the first levels of defence against such frauds. Here are some ways that you should remember:

• If you have shipped or are expecting a shipment, you should check the status of your package directly on the courier company's website rather than fall prey to such deceptive communication.

• Do Not share your UPI PIN, UPI ID, or any other private and sensitive banking details with strangers over the phone.

• If something seems dubious, disconnect the call. Fraudsters use varied tactics to manipulate people into transferring their money.

• Population segments like the elderly need to be educated about such deceptive plots so that they don’t fall for paranoia.

If you suspect a scam, report it by calling 1930 or logging onto cybercrime.gov.in. To know how to recognise and report fraud, visit the FedEx page by clicking here.

It is vital to stay abreast of such developments to navigate a world where such deception is denting people’s financial resources. Before resorting to any action, spend some time to think and not fall for the urgency and immediacy. FedEx continues to highlight the common signs via their home page so that people can recognize and prevent frauds .They have also spread awareness about such ploys to curb the misuse of their name.