Beware: 'Courier Scam' On The Rise, Duping Students Of Lakhs

An Indian Institute of Science student in Bengaluru is the latest to fall prey to the courier scam where she was duped of Rs 1,34,650.

The accused in the courier scam pose as police officials and CBI officers.

At a time when cybercriminals are duping individuals through "like YouTube videos and earn money" and scammers are tricking users into installing a "pink-themed version" of Meta-owned WhatsApp, a cyber fraud is targeting young people, where students are falling prey to "courier scam" or parcel scam". While "courier scam" or "courier fraud" has been around for a while, it is now on the rise. A Bengaluru student is the latest to fall prey to the courier scam and was duped of Rs 1.34 lakh, says a report by Indian Express. 

The accused in the courier scam pose as police officials and CBI officers and target youth by telling them that a courier or parcel with illegal items has been sent in their name and warning them of action if they do not pay up.

On June 23, a PhD student at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru filed a police complaint over the loss of Rs 1,34,650 to the scam. The 30-year-old told the police she received a call from a person impersonating a FedEx employee, saying a package in her name had arrived containing illegal items and that a case of identity theft had occurred, the report added.

In a similar incident, earlier in May, a 20-year-old student filed a similar police complaint in Bengaluru where she told the police that she was cheated of Rs 98,600 after she panicked and believed she was caught in a web of crime on account of a courier that had arrived in her name.

The accused in the courier scam work by posing as cops and officials from the narcotics department and asking the gullible youth to join a Skype call wherein they "manipulate" the victim and ask for Aadhaar, bank account details and other identification details. They ask the victim to transfer money assuring them that it is refundable and on the pretext of returning it.

To recall, Nithin Kamath, Co-Founder of retail brokerage firm Zerodha warned netizens about a "new scam in the name of FedEx, Blue Dart, and other courier companies" last week. The 43-year-old entrepreneur said scammers were impersonating officials from the CBI and crime branch to deceive individuals with fabricated cases. Kamath narrated the incident which involved a person claiming to be a FedEx official in a Twitter thread.

When facing a similar situation, Kamath advised users to reply with: "I will get my lawyer to speak to you". He emphasised on the importance of not panicking and reacting impulsively, as most fraudsters target individuals who respond hastily. Many Twitter users expressed gratitude to Kamath for bringing attention to these scams and shared their own experiences of similar incidents.