Scamsters never fail to shock innocent victims, and are always quick to find new and innovative ways to dupe them. The latest scam that is on the rise is the Fedex scam calls, which has given sleepless nights to several victims. Scamsters have even managed to swindle money out of gullible victims, and the only methodology deployed here is fear.
How the Fedex Scam Call Works?
Fraudsters use WhatsApp calls or regular calls to contact victims, and they usually are in possession of a few personal details of the victim. They claim to be from the narcotics department, and suggest that they have confiscated a Fedex parcel with drugs and other illegal narcotic substances. They scare the victim, who are usually educated and aware, that the police would be reaching their door step to arrest them.
“I fell victim to a FedEx scam but was rescued in time before any money was transacted. The criminals convinced me that I had engaged in a banned drug deal, posing as Mumbai crime branch officials. They made me communicate through Skype and threatened to arrest me via video,” says one such victim on Twitter.
The recipient is contacted by the caller, who claims that a parcel associated with their Aadhaar number has been seized on suspicion of containing illicit substances. Even though the recipient has no knowledge of such a package, the scammer asserts that it was sent from Mumbai and is presently detained in customs owing to the detection of narcotics among its contents.
Once they realise that the victim is convinced and in a state of panic, they ask them to join a video call. The callers display a picture in a police uniform, and may even be dressed as policemen in video calls. They then proceed to demand money from the victim to avoid legal hassles. Recently, a lawyer from Bengaluru fell for the trap and lost a whopping Rs 15 lakhs to scammers.
“Beware of the ‘FedEx courier’ scam! It’s increasing at a rapid speed according to our scam reports. Be sure to block and report the number in your Truecaller app to keep others safe!” says Truecaller while also highlighting that over Rs 5 crore has been lost to these scammers in Bengaluru alone, where 163 cases have been registered related to this type of cyber scam in 2023, with 48 of these cases in the South-East division.
What the Fedex has to say about the Fedex Scam Calls?
Fedex has clarified that they have nothing to do with the purported scam, and that they would never ask for personal details or monetary benefits from customers. “FedEx does not request, via unsolicited call, mail, text or email, payment or personal information in return for goods in transit or in FedEx custody. If you receive any of these or similar communications, do not reply or cooperate with the sender,” says the company.
How to Recognise a Scam Call?
Viewers should keep in mind the following telltale signs of a scam call:
- They usually request for money, and there is always a sense of urgency in that call.
- They usually have bad grammar and misspell words and address.
- Requests for personal and financial information.
What Should One do Upon Receiving such Scam Calls?
Such scam calls must immediately be disconnected without engaging with the scammers no matter what they threaten to do to the caller. Information must be then sent to the nearest police station as well as the cyber crime department. Viewers must then proceed to report and block the scammer so that they are unable to contact them in future.
