One type of spam that is going around lately is FedEx scam calls, which have been targeting people, and are also doing the rounds. Most people have been victims of online fraud at some point in their lives. For us to better understand this scam, Tejal Sinha partnered up with experts to walk through it and explain it to people in detail to make the case easy to understand what, when, and how it occurs. 

The Internet has become a place full of scams, fraud, identity theft, and problems with online shopping. People have experienced all of these problems at times. The way to navigate the internet with the best intention of avoiding these hazards can seem like a challenge. 

Scammers are always trying to find new ways to trick people, so now, they are not only misusing big names to fool people, but they are also posing as law enforcement officials to scare people into giving them money, so it is more and more dangerous to give money to them.   

There has been a cyber fraud campaign that has swindled a retired policeman out of Rs 9.14 crore over the past fortnight in which cyber fraudsters posed as police officers claimed a courier package delivered by FedEx in his name contained illegal drugs and that he had been involved in money laundering. A number of the unknown suspects, infamous for their use of WhatsApp and Skype, have been allegedly holding the terrified victim under duress for some time from November 14 to November 28. 

Several alarming incidents have occurred over the past few years in Bengaluru in which residents have been scammed in an attempt to impersonate FedEx employees and law enforcement officials. Amit (name changed) is the latest victim, a 52-year-old businessman living in HSR Layout, who lost Rs 1.98 crore as a result of the scam. 

Typically, the scammers tell the victims that they will be placed in contact with the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell in response to their call, suggesting that there may be legal trouble imminent and potentially making them anxious and afraid. However, in the majority of cases, the victims had no involvement with sending or receiving the package.

It is also the case that Amit’s call was transferred to the Mumbai Police cybercrime branch. To inform Amit that his name had been mentioned as a subject of a money laundering investigation involving the intercepted package, the man posing as the police officer then made a Skype video call with him, informing him of the arrest.

In the end, Amit believed that he would need to transfer substantial sums of money to a "specified account" to be verified based on the allegations against him that had been made against him. Despite having been unable to leave the Skype conversation for more than two days, Amit's wife was also engaged in a call with someone claiming to be from law enforcement and even his wife was part of that conversation.  

Since the start of the year, Bengaluru police have been dealing with 163 cases of FedEx courier fraud. Till August, the total loss as a result of the fraud was more than Rs 5 crore. Attempts are underway by government authorities to deter students from taking part in this growing menace by promoting awareness and prevention. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has reported that the number of cybercrime cases reported in 2022 across 19 metropolitan cities accounted for an alarming 73.4% of the total of 13,534 cybercrime cases reported across the country. 

Incoming Calls Can Be Concealed, People need to be attentive to calls they receive from unknown parties, especially those claiming to be FedEx representatives, law enforcement agencies, or other organizations they do not know. 

People should always consider their privacy when it comes to sharing sensitive information over the phone, especially if they are not certain of the legitimacy of the person they are speaking with. This includes details about the user's bank account, credit card information, or passport information.

Verify if a package appears suspicious: If any person receives a call regarding a suspicious package, do not hesitate to contact FedEx directly by calling their customer service hotline or by visiting their verified website. It is necessary to provide them with the tracking number as well as other relevant details that will enable them to confirm the status of the shipment and verify the validity of any claim they may be making. 

The best way to keep financial and personal information secure online is by using a strong, unique password for every account, enabling multi-factor authentication whenever available, updating the software, and keeping an eye out for links and attachments that seem suspicious or suspicious in an email or message. 

Please report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities. Victims should inform local law enforcement agencies as well as the Cybercrime Division if they suspect that they have encountered scams or fraudulent activity. Moreover, inform the courier company involved, such as FedEx, of the incident, so that the company can investigate the matter and provide any relevant information necessary to aid them in their efforts. 

Make sure friends, family members, and colleagues are aware of scams and fraudulent schemes by sharing information with them. The more people are aware of these scams, the more likely they are to be protected from them and to contribute to making the online environment a safer one.

CID (Criminal Investigation Department) is in the process of deciphering the methodologies and modus operandi of scammers so that they can locate their pockets and find out how they operate. In Bengaluru, where the CID runs its Centre for Cybercrime Investigation Training and Research, the agency imparts focused training to the CID’s sleuths for them to stay one step ahead of criminals in their pursuit of nefarious activities.