The unwelcome packet that can land you in trouble!

If you get a call saying, “I’m calling from the international airport, and a parcel with 16 passports has been seized in your name,” or if you’re told, “A package with 32 international SIM cards has arrived in your name, or drugs have been found,” it’s obvious anyone would feel alarmed. But if you don’t show even a hint of nervousness, it’s clear that you’re onto the fact that it’s a scam.

In actuality, the calls are not from legitimate sources but rather from cybercriminals. This form of deception is commonly referred to as courier or parcel fraud. Recognizing this, the government has initiated measures to combat such scams.

In this courier fraud, cybercriminals use the fear of cybercrime laws to scam people. This fraud has become so rampant that in recent months, people have lost lhuge amount of money.

First, understand how this fraud works.

Cybercriminals extract people’s details through social media platforms and then scam them with fake calls. In these calls, people are told that customs at the airport have seized their courier, and all their details are with the officials. Then, posing as police officers, the scammers talk to them and scare them into believing they are being duped.

A similar incident happened a few months ago with a woman living in Mumbai. She received a call from a purported courier company saying that a suspicious parcel in her name had been seized at the airport. Despite her denial that the package wasn’t hers, the scammers insisted on contacting the police. Then a fake police officer claimed the matter was related to narcotics and asked for Aadhaar verification, eventually swindling Rs. 1.97 lakh from her.

According to the Home Ministry, an organized group of cybercriminals is operating in this manner. These groups operate from abroad. Most of these calls come from outside India. Therefore, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (i4C) and the Department of Telecom have joined hands to block spoof calls from outside India. Callers impersonate officers from agencies like the Narcotics Control Bureau, CBI, and other agencies. Cybercriminals also use the identities of officials from these agencies. To counter this, i4C is working with Microsoft to prevent such misuse.

To avoid falling victim to such scams, pay attention to a few things.

Firstly, don’t panic. If you receive such a call mentioning drugs or something else in a courier, simply say that your lawyer will handle it or counter-question them yourself.

Most fraudsters target those who get nervous quickly. When they hear the lawyer’s mention, they understand that you understand the law and are alert. In such a situation, they won’t engage in further conversation, and their trap will break before it reaches you.

Another important thing, if you receive such a call, don’t trust it at all. If the name of a courier company is mentioned, immediately contact them directly. Never share personal details like Aadhaar or bank account with anyone.