HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Police have warned residents about a new "parcel scam" in which cyber fraudsters pose as delivery personnel and claim a parcel has arrived in the recipient's name.
Police said criminals are targeting people who have not placed any online order but are told a parcel was mistakenly booked to their address. Victims are asked to share a one-time password (OTP) sent to their phone to "cancel" the delivery.
Fraudsters exploit online shopping trend
With groceries, milk packets, electronic goods, clothes and household items increasingly ordered online, cyber criminals are exploiting the trend to run parcel-related scams, police said.
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They either send phishing links through SMS or visit homes posing as delivery boys. "If someone comes to your house claiming to deliver a parcel you did not order, treat it as a cyber fraud attempt," police said.
Sharing OTP gives access to phone, banking apps
Fraudsters tell victims that an OTP will be sent to cancel the parcel and ask them to share it. In some cases, they ask for the phone to "check" the message.
Police cautioned people not to share OTPs or hand over their phones. If victims disclose the OTP or give away their phone, fraudsters can gain access to photos, videos and banking applications stored on the device.
In some cases, criminals escalate the threat by claiming that the parcel contains drugs or explosive substances and demand money to avoid legal trouble.
Police cited a recent case in which an 81-year-old man was threatened over the phone and cheated of ₹7.12 crore in a similar fraud. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has registered a case and is investigating.
People facing cyber fraud are advised to immediately contact the Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or report complaints at https://www.cybercrime.gov.in.