Have you received an SMS saying that a parcel delivery in your name was attempted twice, and that you now need to click a link to update your home address? Sometimes the text message ends with "India Post", and other times the web link reads the name of some other courier service.
This is part of the recently popular India Post delivery scam. In fact, India Post themselves have shared warning alerts to educate citizens.
But the sophistication of the scam has only gotten better with time, and now it's co-opted the names of multiple service providers - be it Delhivery or DHL.
What's The Scam?
You first receive an SMS along the lines of:
"Your parcel delivery has been attempted for the 2nd time please confirm your details or your item will be returned: https://indiapots.com/in"
If you click on it, it will lead you to a website that resembles the India Post's official site. Or a duplicate courier service website.
Not even a rough copy - it would have everything from the logos, event banners, working parcel tracking, to even the status information.
There, it would ask you to ‘update details within 12 hours’ using a link. You’re asked to pay a small redelivery fee of Rs. 80 or Rs. 100.
Except, the moment you enter your card details, scammers gain access to your banking information.
Some reports have even suggested that the links install spyware on devices that monitor user activity. Scam Watch covered this scam earlier this month.
The Telltale Signs
Don’t click suspicious links. Always type the official site address directly into your browser.
If in doubt, call India Post customer care instead of trusting a text message.
Never share card details on unverified pages. Check for the HTTPS lock on the URL bar.
Install anti-malware software to catch dodgy links early.
And, the next time you get a suspicious text, forward it to us at 7700906588 on WhatsApp, and we will verify it for you.
