Hundreds of Indians falling victim to scam involving blocked FedEx packages, urged to press 1

The FedEx courier scam has been on the rise in India, with Bengaluru city police registering 335 cyber fraud cases related to this particular scam in 2023. Surprisingly, even internet-savvy individuals are falling victim to this scam. The scam typically begins with an IVR phone call from an unknown number claiming that the recipient’s FedEx package has been blocked, prompting them to press 1. Those who fall for the scam end up paying large sums of money in the form of fines. A recent report by The Indian Express highlighted the case of a 70-year-old journalist in Bengaluru who lost ₹1.20 crore to this scam.

What is FedEx Courier Scam

What starts as an IVR call quickly turns into a WhatsApp call. Scammers impersonate airport officials and claim the call is from a so-called FedEx courier agency to get the victim’s attention. The caller then claims that a particular package belonging to the victim has been blocked at the airport because the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has found drugs with the victim’s name on the package. To make the call legitimate, scammers share the victim’s Aadhaar card number, address and other personal details. Fraudsters pretend to forward the call to NCB authorities and threaten the victim by informing that a case has been registered at a nearby police station. When the scammer hooks the victim, it’s all about pressuring them to pay bribes and “fines”.

How to Avoid the FedEx Courier Scam

Now that you know about the FedEx courier scam, hang up and block the number if anyone talks about the courier. Each courier has a tracking number that can be checked online. If someone has actually sent a courier in your name, you would already know about it. In conclusion, this is not how NCB or any law enforcement agency works, and also courier companies have different protocols to follow and these scammers just rely on ignorance to scam citizens.