“Your FedEx package has been intercepted…press 1” – Hundreds of Indians have lost money due to this scam

With the rise in online scams across India, one particular type of scam that has emerged recently is the FedEx delivery scam. According to reports, the Bangalore City Police has registered 335 cases of online fraud related to FedEx scams in 2023. Surprisingly, internet-savvy people are also being scammed.

FedEx delivery scams start with an IVR call from an unknown number claiming, “Your FedEx package has been blocked…press 1.” Anyone who is lured by a FedEx package and proceeds to make calls will be scammed into paying hundreds of thousands of rupees in the form of a “fine”. According to the Indian Express, a 70-year-old journalist in Bangalore fell into this scam recently and suffered losses. $120 Crore.

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What is FedEx Scam

What starts as an IVR call quickly turns into a WhatsApp call. Scammers impersonate airport staff and claim the call is from a purported FedEx office to attract the victim’s attention. The caller then claimed that a package belonging to the victim had been blocked at the airport because the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) found drugs with the victim’s name in the package. To make the call legitimate, the scammers share the victim’s Aadhaar card number, address and other personal details. The scammer threatens the victim by pretending to transfer the call to an NCB official and claiming that a case has been registered at a nearby police station. Once the scammer hooks a victim, they force them to pay in the form of bribes and “fines.”

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Victims transfer money to scammers, fearing the consequences of a police case and how false cases will damage their image in society. Once the first payment is made, victims are further harassed and extorted to drain their bank accounts.

Most scammers obtain Aadhaar numbers and personal documents at local cyber cafes, hotels, government offices and other public places. Scammers then target older people, women and people they believe are gullible and who may be harassed into paying.

While scammers may adapt their modus operandi depending on their choice of victims, the core goals are broadly similar.

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How to avoid FedEx scams

Now that you know about the FedEx delivery scam, if someone talks about delivery, just hang up and block the number. Each courier has a tracking number that can be verified online. If someone did send a shipment in your name, you would already know about it. Finally, this is not how NCB or any law enforcement agency works, besides, courier companies have different protocols to follow and these scammers are just taking advantage of the lack of awareness to deceive citizens.