Courier & Shipping Scams
Be aware of Scamsters
A Fraud is an Act by the perpetrator whereby another person, the victim believes it to be true.
Lead incurs monetary or other losses and the perpetrator of fraud gains at the victim’s expense. It
is also a breach of trust by the perpetrator where the victim depends on and acts believing it to be
true. Such perpetrators are known as Fraudsters.
A Scam may be a scheme or business transaction involving money and creating one or a group
of people or people at large. Scams are committed by e-mail/telephone/text messages or social
media. The scammer is called a Scamster.
Now when it comes to the courier company, there are many companies in the market, but we
need to check many things before choosing any company. 2020 brought the biggest online
shopping season on record. And with the surge in online shopping comes an uptick in people
looking to take advantage of you. Schemers are sending out fake shipping notifications
impersonating. Some of the biggest shipping companies in the world include Amazon, FedEx,
UPS, and DHL.
There are many genuine International courier services in Chennai. But the same as other parts
of the country, Chennai is also a city that is highly involved in scams and fraud. There are many
steps that companies take to make their customers feel safe from any such activities. Also when
we talk about international trade, many of our countries couriers are sent to the USA. Many
problems occur when it comes to international trade. Like other countries, exists a big courier
service market in the USA. They’re also many frauds happening back to back.
Some of the common fraud and scams
For the past few years, cyber-fraudsters have duped thousands of people by giving their numbers
to the world. That as bank helpline numbers, courier services, online shopping portals, network
service providers, and online marketplaces. Some common fraud and scams –
In the first cast, A person works in an NGO and runs a side business with his wife selling food
and sweets during festivals. He had sent some sweets using DTDC service and, as the parcel had
not reached on time. He went on Google to search for the helpline number of the courier service
and gets a fake number in the end. The fraudster sent him a link asking him to fill in his banking
and personal details in it to register his complaint. Within minutes a total of Rs 50,000 got
deducted from his bank account.
In the second case, A new online delivery scam is here in which you will get a mail or SMS from
a delivery company. The message will claim that you have a pending courier delivery and the
package, delivery is not possible on time. Now that the lockdown due to coronavirus is over, the
delivery company will try to deliver you the product. Yet, to do so, the scammer will ask you for
your detail and, may ask for some minor changes through which they will steal all your bank
detail via a link.
Identification –
Now there are some ways to identify that you are getting scammed.
An unusual sender –
Check whether you are receiving the calls and messages from the right person or not. Check the
background of the sender properly. Typically, a fake text message will appear as if this one
comes from a brand or a trusted name. But you need to check to see if there is a mobile number.
And if it looks like a private mobile number, then unlikely to be from a genuine company.
Equally, with emails, it is main to check the sender’s address of the email. If the domain does not
matches the said brand, this is a big clue of being fake.
Urgency-
The next clue is the urgency in calls and the word urgent in texts and emails. No genuine person
will force you to do something, but the fraudulent will force you to do the things in argent. Often
these messages encourage you to do something rapidly. Scammers like to play on our natural
curiosity and fear to get what they want. So, if you smell undue pressure on you to act at once it
is a clear warning sign.
Errors –
Spelling or typing errors in your text and mail is a clue that the person is a fraud. It is a tip that
goes a long way. Look out for silly spelling and grammatical mistakes in delivery messages. A
genuine person or company recruits a good team of experts. So they never make such a mistake.
Never hurry must check everything properly. Go slow.
Link –
Never click on each link. Be very careful before clicking on any link. Check the background,
where that link is all about, and who has sent you. Never click it if you are confused and not sure
about the sender. One click on a wrong link can take all your earned money from your account.
Companies background –
Before choosing any courier company, properly check the background of the company. There are
many fraud companies also in the market. Go to their website and check everything. Consult any
of your Freind and family members who have a piece of good knowledge. Then opt for any of
the companies.
Rewards –
Every one of us loves rewards. But no one is there who will give you the prize without
demanding anything in return. Assume you receive a message or mail that says you won a big
reward and you need to claim it, be careful. Or if you receive a message that says you have
received a package. But there are unexpected charges with care give it a thought if this is a
possibility before you act. You never know what that message can do to you in the next
moment.